Macao has partnered with Xiamen Airlines to launch a new “One Fare – Two Cities” product aimed at further boosting numbers of Australians travelling to the former Portuguese enclave.

With return air fares to Macao beginning from as little as $768 per person from Sydney or Melbourne, the campaign offers an alternative route to the traditional Hong Kong flight path with travellers having the chance to visit and explore the beautiful Chinese coastal city of Xiamen en route to Macao.

Helen Wong, general manager of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Australia, welcomed the new multi-destination route and the dedicated fare and accompanying bonuses.

“This is a very exciting venture between airline and destination which should build on our numbers of Australian holidaymakers to Macao,” she said. “Merge the low air fare with some attractive accommodation offers and we have the makings of an affordable Macao experience.”

It’s the first time the Chinese airline has teamed with the Macao Government Tourism Office (Australia) to offer a dedicated fare, the offer including a complimentary night’s stay in Xiamen (6-24hrs) along with free coach tour (4 -24hrs) of a city popular for its beaches and colonial past.

In addition, passengers would not require a China visa if spending up to 72 hours in Xiamen.

In 2016, more than 93,000 Australian passport holders visited Macao, an increase on the previous year’s figure. A majority arrived from Hong Kong via the high-speed ferry transfer.

The new Xiamen Airlines product will allow Australians to fly from Sydney and Melbourne to Xiamen for a night’s stopover before boarding the connecting short-haul flight to Macao International Airport.

Mr Yang Hua Chen, general manager of Xiamen Airlines (Australia), also welcomed the new link with Xiamen and Macao and said it was yet another example of Mainland China’s “One Belt, One Road” economic and strategic initiative. In further emphasising the importance of the Australian route to Xiamen Airlines, Mr Chen said his airline was the only Chinese-based carrier to service Australia with the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Both MGTO and Xiamen Airlines will host a series of travel industry workshops in Sydney over the next two months to coincide with giant shopping centre exhibitions for consumers. Those expos will be highlighted by the exclusive 360-degree (virtual reality) showings of Macao and the airline, beginning with a four-day event at Parramatta Westfield on July 6-9, 2017.

Macao is visa free for Australian passport holders staying no more than 30 days.