Mr Lieven Bertels and Mr Tan Wan’geng. Image Source: China Southern Airlines

China Southern Airlines has signed on as the sponsor for the Sydney Festival for the next three years and believes Australia is on the cusp of a travel boom that will see one million Chinese visiting Australia by 2020.

On the eve of Sydney Festival’s Symphony in the Domain, Executive Vice President of China Southern Air Holding Company and President and CEO of China Southern Airlines, Mr Tan Wan’geng made the announcement of the continued sponsorship, saying that the airline saw Australia as an important source of travellers to China and the rest of the world on its global network. 

China Southern Airlines invested a $600,000 sponsorship for the Sydney Festival 2012, the airline’s largest single marketing initiative in the Australian market. 

The continued sponsorship recognises the future potential of the airline within Australia and the partnership with one of the Asia Pacific region’s key cultural events, and Australia largest performing arts festival.

Mr Tan Wan’geng said the growth boom will amount to a travel bonanza for Australia and Australians with the potential to generate $4 billion in direct benefits and $15 billion in indirect benefits for the by the end of the decade.

An increase in the airline’s already 35 weekly flights to 55 by 2015 will be a driving force for travel between Australia and China, estimating to carry 1.2 million passengers travelling for pleasure or business.

“Not only are we well placed for travel into China because we are based in the south of China at Guangzhou, or old Canton, we have also decided to launch what we call the Canton Route from Australia to the UK and Europe to provide Australians with an alternative to the traditional Kangaroo Route,” Mr Tan Wan’geng said.

The Airline’s other associations during the Sydney festival include the Ferrython on Sydney Harbour on Australia Day.  The Sydney Festival 2012 continues until 29 January.