Australian Small Business Minister, Senator Nick Sherry on Thursday welcomed China Southern Airline's route expansion plans into Australia, saying that it will benefit the nation's small businesses.

After a meeting with the China Southern Airline's President and CEO, Tan Wangeng, in Brisbane of Australia, Senator Sherry has put out a media release on the expansion of China Southern Airlines in Australia.

The plans centered on adding Cairns, Perth and Adelaide to the network, with additional Brisbane flights also planned. The pair hopes to have 50 services per week by 2013.

Senator Sherry, also Minister Assisting on Tourism and Deregulation, said Australia's small businesses, and particularly those in the tourism sector will benefit from the increased tourism from China.

He expected employment numbers over the next decade to increase again as a consequence of increased activity.

"It's very broad in its impact not just across a number of sectors of small business but geographically as well given the nature of tourism many people rural and regional areas," Senator Sherry told Xinhua reporter in an exclusive interview.

"So it's a very very important investment in Australia and we welcome it and as I say I was very impressed by Mr Tan and his senior executives and the outline of their vision for the further expansion of services into Australia."

Also, the expansion will have some effect to offset the loss from the global financial crisis.

Senator Sherry said the total value of Chinese Tourists to Australia running at about two and a half billion U.S. dollars at the moment will double over the next 10 years.

With the high Australian dollars, and by encouraging additional international visitors to Australia will helps offset in terms of a balance of trade, he said, adding that this is why the announcement by China Southern is so welcome.

Australia received 204,000 Chinese tourists during the first five months of 2010, up 10 percent year on year. Further, China had become Australia's fourth largest source of tourists as of the end of 2009.

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