Banners to offer warm welcome to Chinese

<p>Seventy colourful banners will line the streets of Cairns’s central business district to offer a special welcome to the influx of visitors expected to arrive via direct flights from China starting this week.</p> <p>Cairns Regional Council and The Cairns Post have joined forces to create the banners which were installed throughout the CBD over the weekend in readiness for the arrival of the first flight from Shanghai by China Eastern Airlines on Wednesday 31 October.</p> <p>More than 36,000 Chinese travellers will be able to fly non-stop from Shanghai to Cairns each year on the new direct flights which will operate three times a week.</p> <p>In December, China’s biggest airline, China Southern, is expected to commence tri-weekly services from Guangzhou on a trial timed to include Chinese New Year celebrations in Cairns.</p> <p>Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said the city was excited about the imminent arrival of a new influx of tourists from China and it was crucial to ensure the visitors felt they were being warmly welcomed.</p> <p>“The 70 banners depict a colourful tropical scene and feature the words ‘Cairns Welcomes You’ in simplified Chinese text and in English,” he said.</p> <p>“We felt this would send a clear message that we are very appreciative of our visitors and we sincerely hope that our new Chinese tourists will savour their time in Cairns and return home to tell their friends and family why they should come.”</p> <p>The Cairns Post has also created and installed large banners, depicting a similar tropical scene and welcome message, on their iconic building in Abbott Street, and has produced 1000 welcome posters to be distributed across the city to Cairns businesses.</p> <p>The posters will enable Cairns businesses and residents to join in and welcome the Chinese visitors, said The Cairns Post editor Neil Melloy.</p> <p>“Many people and businesses in Cairns are keen to make the China trial flights a success,” Mr Melloy said.</p> <p>“The welcome posters will enable everyone to get behind this campaign and do their bit to ensure our Chinese visitors have the trip of a lifetime.”<br /></p>