New direct flights to Melbourne Airport will make travel to Australia “easier and quicker” for Chinese visitors, according to Tourism & Transport Forum chief executive John Lee.

Sichuan Airlines will operate non-stop flights from Chengdu to Melbourne three times per week, allocating an additional 44,200 passenger seats per year.

“Aviation access and airline capacity is crucial to growing visitor numbers from China,” Mr Lee said.

"However, Australia is not the only country to have recognised the potential of the Chinese outbound market, so building capacity - especially through direct flights - is vital to ensuring that we capitalise on this opportunity.”

Chinese visitor numbers to Australia during August displayed definitive growth, with passenger numbers up 17.5 percent over the same period last year.

Mr Lee said the new services will drive spending and support employment in Victoria and Australia.

“They will [also] help to maximise the return on investment in marketing and promotion in China by both Tourism Victoria and Tourism Australia.”

Chengdu has a population of more than 14 million people.