Cairns centre aims to build Asian deals

CAIRNS The Cairns Convention Centre (CCC) is moving to target high-spending Asian business travellers following Australian Airlines' announcement of flights between Cairns and six Asian cities commencing later this year. CCC managing director Mr Geoff Donaghy said: "We have a presence in key Asian cities and increased our marketing over the past three years. This will be stepped up in 2002. "The centre now has a database of over 300 prospective conference clients and event organisers in Hong Kong and Singapore alone. "Constraints with airline access and seat availability in the past have prevented us from fully capitalising on this potential but securing a greater share of lucrative Asian business events is a real opportunity for Cairns." The centre is bringing forward a meeetings and corporate incentives research project planned for next year in Japan.