EDINBURGH, 13 June 2018: Scots will see more Chinese tourists on the streets of Edinburgh than ever, now direct flights have been established from Beijing.
A Hainan Airlines plane made history, earlier this week, as it landed at Edinburgh Airport on the first direct service between China and Scotland.
Hainan Airlines’ four-weekly, year-round service from Beijing Capital International Airport is Scotland’s first airline connection with Asia.
Officials said it would be a major boost for tourism in Scotland and increases business links with Asia, both of which will benefit the Scottish economy.
VisitScotland chief executive, Malcolm Roughead said: “This first direct service from China to Edinburgh represents a gear change for Scottish tourism and further cements Scotland’s reputation as a world-class destination.
“As the Chinese market has grown over the years so too has the Scottish capital’s popularity with Chinese visitors and it continues to be the top destination outside of London.
“Through our ongoing work with key Chinese tour operators we have seen visitor itineraries extending over the years. Bringing visitors from China directly into the heart of Scotland will create greater opportunities for tourism businesses right across the country, as visitors stay longer and explore further.”
“We know Edinburgh is second only to London for Chinese tourists and we are eager to welcome more people to our fantastic capital city, but it’s also about connecting people from Scotland to Beijing and wider China thanks to Hainan’s hub network.
Hainan Airlines uses an Airbus A330-300 on the route that includes a stop in Dublin as part of a route that links the three capital cities.
On Tuesdays and Saturdays the flight arrives into Edinburgh from Beijing at 0600 and departs for Dublin at 0800 and then on to Beijing.
On Thursdays and Sundays the flight arrives into Edinburgh from Dublin at 0910 before departing for Beijing at 1110.
