Our fame is causing pain

WE are paying the price for being a popular international destination.

The latest national visitor survey figures show a noticeable drop in Australians making the journey north and it’s been fortunately blamed on tourists from overseas.

The small number of direct flights from other countries means global travellers are booking seats from southern ports to and from Cairns at higher prices.

The arrival of two new airlines from mainland China in December should take the pressure from domestic routes and free up the seats for domestic holidaymakers and other flyers as long as the fares are competitive.

As well the tropical north is facing pressure from other overseas destinations, such as Bali, Thailand and New Zealand, as well as cruises, which are becoming increasingly popular with Australians with Cairns a top stopover port.

The latest Cairns Airport statistics reveal the popularity of the CairnsBali route, an increase of 45 per cent. It is also being used by Europeans in growing numbers to travel to the region.

Fewer seats also are being suggested as a reason, although the airport report says there has been an increase in seat numbers with 20,000 last month, including 8000 on domestic routes (up 2 per cent), and more than 200,000 for the year ended August, 2017.

While Jetstar and Tigerair regularly offer attractive fare sales, they are often for travel months ahead and are only for a few hundred seats at a time.

If we want more Aussie holidaymakers we need more and cheaper airline seats from southern ports and more non-stop international flights. Nick Dalton Deputy editor