New agreement between Jetstar and Tourism Western Australia to boost visitors to Perth

A new agreement between Tourism Western Australia (WA) and Jetstar is set to increase visitor numbers to Perth from the east coast.

Tourism Minister Liz Constable today welcomed Jetstar’s decision to expand existing key services to Perth from Sydney and Melbourne and add two new direct routes from the Gold Coast and Brisbane.

“This new agreement between Tourism WA and Jetstar will increase the number of places from which people can travel to our extraordinary state,” Dr. Constable said.

“This Memorandum of Understanding will deliver an additional 40,000 new visitors to the state per year, spending an estimated $39 million a year over the next three years.

“It will also help to address two of the main barriers to visitation from the eastern seaboard – time and cost.”

The agreement sets up a cooperative arrangement between Tourism WA and Jetstar where the state government will match the airline’s marketing spend on advertising and promoting the new schedules over the next three years.

From October 31, the airline will introduce another four weekly flights on each of the Melbourne-Perth and Sydney-Perth routes, up from 14 per week and 7 per week, respectively. This will increase the number of direct Jetstar services to Perth from 6 Australian cities, from 32 to 54 per week.

From December 10, Jetstar will also introduce a first-time daily flight from Brisbane to Perth, in addition to the launch of a daily service from the Gold Coast commencing in April 2011.

Jetstar Group chief executive Bruce Buchanan – who attended the launch with the Minister today – said the agreement would boost the airline’s efforts to promote Perth as an attractive destination and provide a platform for future growth.

Dr. Constable said the agreement was an important and timely opportunity for Tourism WA to increase the state’s market share of interstate tourism.

“The demand for travel to Perth from the eastern seaboard is there but many see it as too costly,” she said.

“These additional services will make WA accessible to a new group of consumers who have not holidayed in WA before.”