McGowan to Rome

WESTERN Australian Premier Mark McGowan is jetting off to Europe courtesy of Qantas, taking a seat on this weekend’s inaugural non-stop QF service from Perth to Rome.

QF5 will take about 16.5 hours to make the trip, with the new route described as a “huge boost” for the state as it works to breathe new life into its battered tourism sector.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and WA’s extended lockdowns, almost 150,000 European visitors spent over $400 million annually in the state, including 11,000 arrivals from Italy.