A PLANNED trip by an Australian contingent to Hong Kong to better develop trade links and highlight agribusiness opportunities, has been postponed.
The organisers of the trip, Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) and Food Leaders Australia (FLA), announced a 12-month postponement of the "Access Hong Kong" venture last week, citing a lack of interest for not going ahead with the September trip.
TSBE executive chairman, Shane Charles, said the decision was made after consultation with carrier Qantas, Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport, the TSBE board and other key stakeholders.
“We hosted more than 200 delegates on last year’s Access China trip, and unfortunately this year we did not have as strong an uptake from the business and agribusiness community,” Mr Charles said.
Hong Kong was chosen for the 2017 delegation due to established connections with Toowoomba created by weekly freight flights through Cathay Pacific.
It was also the number one destination chosen by last year’s delegates as the place they wanted to visit next.
More than 92 per cent of people who attended last year indicated that they would want to go again.
But those indications failed to materialise into bookings for this year.
“A number of potential delegates have informed us that had the trip had been in the next six to 12 months, they would have been able to attend," Mr Charles said.
"The reality is that with the Range Bypass and activity in the gas sector, many people who were keen to attend simply could not afford the time out of their business.”
We hosted more than 200 delegates on last year’s Access China trip, and unfortunately this year we did not have as strong an uptake from the business and agribusiness community.
- Shane Charles
One of the main parts to the trip was a visit to Asia Fruit Logistica, one of the largest fruit trade shows in the world.
TSBE and FLA will still travel to Hong Kong to explore the market opportunities with Asia Fruit Logistica.
Organisers said they expect some producers and agribusinesses from the region would still be likely to join the trip.
A commercial flight through Brisbane Airport will be used to attend.
Mr Charles said the full opportunity for the Darling Downs and wider region to trade with Hong Kong had not yet been realised.
“We fully believe in the value that delegates and the wider region has by taking industry leaders to explore the opportunity and make their presence felt in Asia,” he said.
