New statistics released by FCM, the corporate travel division of Flight Centre Travel Group reveal the gateway between Australia and Asia has soared for big business in the previous quarter when compared to 2022.
The figures show that bookings between 1 July and 30 September 2023 versus the same time last year between China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia took off by 83%.
According to the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the trade interests are inextricably linked. Australia’s two-way trade with ASEAN passed A$178bn (US$112.2bn) in 2022.
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia are also in Australia’s top 15 trading partners for 2022.
Melissa Elf (pictured), global chief operating officer of FCM/ANZ managing director of Flight Centre Corporate, said: “Travel between Australia and the countries within Asia has always been critical for trade and we’re now seeing that demand for big business to head Down Under really ramp – as our latest statistics show.
“It’s no coincidence that the growth in booking numbers coincides with airline capacity coming back and more seats being offered as the likes of Singapore Airlines swap out smaller aircraft for A380s into the capital cities of Sydney and Melbourne.
“The other trend we’re seeing is corporate travellers extending their long-haul stay to take advantage of holiday destinations – Australia is the perfect place to do this.
“Meetings, events, and conferences have also come back strongly in the last three months and that’s reflected in these increased booking numbers. Businesses are valuing face to face now more than ever as the euphoria of Zoom and Teams fades away in favour of in-person occasions.”
