Scoot set to boost North Coast numbers

No-frills carrier Scoot will help promote visitation and expenditure on NSW’s North Coast, following the development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with North Coast Destination Network (NCDN). The NCDN has also signed a MoU with Gold Coast Airport in an effort to grow international visitors, citing an 11 percent decline in overseas tourists to the region for the year to March 2012. “The agreement is a framework to meet our shared interest in growing international visitor expenditure on the North Coast of NSW and encourage use of the direct air services of Scoot through cooperative marketing,” North Coast Destination Network international marketing Russell Mills said. “With Scoot flying directly into Gold Coast Airport as well as Sydney International Airport, there are fabulous opportunities to promote iconic holiday destinations on the North Coast such as Byron Bay, as well as the legendary Pacific Coast touring route between Sydney and Brisbane.” By 2020 almost half of all overnight visitor expenditure will come from international visitors, with Asian tourists predicted to account for a large proportion of these guests. “Gold Coast Airport is delighted to work with tourism bodies in New South Wales as we know that the growing number of passengers coming through our airport from overseas will love all that the North Coast NSW has to offer,” Gold Coast Airport international business development manager Michael Curtis said. In a lead up to the holidays, Scoot has added 30 additional flights to and from Taipei, Gold Coast and Bangkok. The extra services will operate between early December and mid-January 2013 and will be available for purchase from 14 November to 16 November 2012. Scoot will cancel all flights from Singapore to Shenyang and Qingdao between 27 November and 8 January next year after the airline was unable to obtain all the necessary regulatory approvals for the routes. A Scoot spokesperson said that it is standard practice for airlines to launch destinations and sell fares even before gaining full regulatory approval, according to channelnewsasia. Those customers affected by the cancellations will need to make alternative travel arrangements. Sourced: etravelblackboardasia