Hong Kong Visitor Spending in Queensland Surges 175% as Cairns Weighs Its Next Direct Flight Season

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A 175% increase in the amount spent by visitors from Hong Kong in Queensland in the year to December 2025, to A$161.6 million, was attributed by Tourism and Events Queensland to an increase in the number of visitors from Hong Kong which more than tripled. Cathay Pacific operated direct flights from Hong Kong to Cairns between November and February this year, and the focus is now on extending or continuing the flights, to give visitors from Hong Kong access to the Great Barrier Reef. The interim results for 2025 have shown the positive impact direct flights had on the hotels and tour operators of northern Queensland, and have reinforced the need for convenient and direct connections to the market.

A striking rise in a relatively small visitor market

What the Hong Kong visitor spending figures show

The latest Tourism and Events Queensland international tourism snapshot records 48,000 visitors from Hong Kong to Queensland in the year ending December 2025. That was a 206.7% increase from the preceding year. Their expenditure rose 175% to A$161.6 million. (teq.queensland.com)

Those are statewide figures. They do not mean that all 48,000 visitors went to Cairns, or that the direct flight alone produced the increase. Visitors can enter Queensland through several airports, and the snapshot does not assign the spending growth to a particular route.

Source: Tourism and Events Queensland’s International Tourism Snapshot, year ending December 2025. Hong Kong figures cover Queensland as a whole; the regional expenditure figure covers visitors from all international markets. (teq.queensland.com)

Hong Kong accounted for about 2% of Queensland’s international visitors in that period. Its rapid growth nevertheless makes it a market to watch. The large percentage increase should also be read alongside the visitor count: growth from a smaller base can produce a striking rate.

Cairns is a principal entry point for visitors heading to the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforest. A traveller arriving directly can begin a regional holiday without first changing planes in another Australian city.

That convenience matters across the visitor economy. A stay may involve accommodation, airport transfers, reef trips, guides, restaurants and local shops. Yet the statewide Hong Kong figures cannot tell readers how much of that spending reached each Cairns business.

The wider region was performing strongly in Tourism and Events Queensland’s snapshot. Tropical North Queensland’s international visitor expenditure reached approximately A$1.2 billion in the year to December 2025, up 24.2%. That result reflects international markets collectively, rather than Hong Kong alone. (teq.queensland.com)

The seasonal flight behind the access question

What was confirmed for the previous summer

Cairns Airport announced that Cathay Pacific would operate three direct flights a week between Hong Kong and Cairns from 9 December 2025 to 28 February 2026. The timing covered Christmas and Lunar New Year travel. (cairnsairport.com.au)

In a later airport update, the operator said the season would provide more than 20,000 seats. It estimated A$18 million in visitor expenditure from the service. That was an airport forecast for the flight season, not a measured result and not the same statistic as statewide spending by Hong Kong visitors. (cairnsairport.com.au)

The distinction matters. A passenger on a Hong Kong–Cairns flight might be connecting from elsewhere, while a visitor from Hong Kong might reach Queensland by another route. Neither number can be used as a direct count of the other.

Cathay Pacific had also flown the route during the preceding summer. Cairns Airport’s December 2024 announcement described three weekly services operating from 17 December 2024 to 29 March 2025. The two confirmed seasons provide a clear history of the link, but they do not establish a timetable for the next one. (www.cairnsairport.com.au)

What is known about the next season

As of 23 September 2026, the official airport announcement checked for this article confirms the 2025–26 service. It does not announce dates for a 2026–27 return. Cairns Airport’s destination page still labels Hong Kong a seasonal Cathay Pacific destination, but it does not give dates for a new season. (cairnsairport.com.au)

That leaves a practical question for travellers and tourism operators. A published fare between Cairns and Hong Kong does not, by itself, prove that a nonstop flight operates on the selected date. The itinerary must show whether it includes a connection.

There is consequently no basis here to say the route has been renewed, cancelled or permanently withdrawn. A firm claim about the next direct season needs a current schedule or announcement from the airline or airport.

What stronger demand could mean for tourism businesses

Access can shape a regional itinerary

For an airline, a seasonal route is a decision about demand, aircraft and the wider network. For a regional destination, it is also a way for travellers to reach local experiences with fewer steps.

Hotels and tour operators need reliable flight information to plan packages and staffing. Visitors need it to decide how much time to allow between arrival and a booked reef or rainforest activity. The confirmed 2025–26 service offered one straightforward option during a peak holiday period.

Queensland’s figures show that the Hong Kong market grew strongly during the year that included that flight season’s opening weeks. They do not show how many visitors used the service, how many continued beyond Cairns, or whether a future season would deliver the airport’s earlier spending forecast.

This is where careful reporting is more useful than a large headline number. The A$161.6 million measures Hong Kong visitor expenditure across Queensland. The A$1.218 billion measures expenditure by international visitors across Tropical North Queensland. Both demonstrate the value of inbound travel, but they answer different questions. (teq.queensland.com)

A growing market, with limits to the data

Tourism and Events Queensland recorded A$7.485 billion in total international visitor expenditure statewide in the year ending December 2025, up 20.3%. Hong Kong’s growth was far faster, although its spending remained a small share of that total. (teq.queensland.com)

The figures give Cairns businesses a reason to follow the market closely. They do not establish new jobs, investment commitments or a change in airline policy. No such outcome should be inferred from visitor spending alone.

For travellers, the immediate issue is simpler: check the complete flight itinerary before booking. A journey sold between Hong Kong and Cairns may involve a stop, even when both cities appear prominently in a fare search.

Questions travellers need answered

Is there a confirmed direct Cathay Pacific flight for summer 2026–27?

The official sources reviewed for this article confirm direct flights through 28 February 2026. They do not provide a confirmed nonstop timetable for the following summer. Check Cathay Pacific’s itinerary for your exact dates before arranging onward travel. (cairnsairport.com.au)

Does a Cairns–Hong Kong fare mean the flight is nonstop?

No. A fare can cover an itinerary with a connection. Read the flight details and look for the operating flight, stops and total journey time before paying.

Do the spending figures describe Cairns alone?

No. The A$161.6 million figure covers spending by visitors from Hong Kong throughout Queensland. Tropical North Queensland’s A$1.218 billion figure covers spending by visitors from all international markets in that region. (teq.queensland.com)

What happens next for Cairns and Hong Kong

Queensland’s official figures identify a fast-growing Hong Kong visitor market at a time when Tropical North Queensland has recorded rising international expenditure. Cairns’ confirmed seasonal flights show how the region connected directly with that market during the previous summer. They do not settle what service will be available next summer.

For the time being, the most helpful conclusion is also the strongest. Demand and the indicated flights are different pieces of information. The tourism industry can use the published data to improve their business. The public visitor figures and the tourism industry trends may assist travelers in planning; however, the travelers may need to use their airlines’ flight schedules to plan. Announcements regarding direct flights between Cairns and Hong Kong may fill the knowledge gap.