Some of the world’s major airlines will next week be urged to help boost international business and tourism in the West of England by introducing new flights from Bristol Airport.
The airport’s bosses will attend the continent’s biggest aviation event which starts on Sunday.
Top of their list will be more European business destinations, especially in Germany and Scandinavia, along with its continued efforts to re-instate direct flights to the US and services to the Middle East. 
Routes Europe, which takes place in Aberdeen and lasts until Tuesday, brings together airlines, airports and tourism authorities to discuss new route opportunities. Some 1,800 delegates from 125 airlines and 450 airports are expected to attend.
Bristol Airport has been successful in attracting new business at previous Routes Europe events, including the twice-weekly Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) service from Stockholm, which has already brought hundreds of high-spending Swedish visitors to the region.
This year is the third running that tourism organisation Destination Bristol has joined the airport at the event. As well as attending face-to-face meetings with airlines, Bristol Airport will host an exhibition stand at the event, helping put the city on the world map.
And on Sunday evening Bristol Airport and Destination Bristol will showcase cheese and drink from the South West to invited guests including Lye Cross Cheese and Butcombe beer – which is brewed just a few miles from the airport.
Airport aviation director Shaun Browne said: “Routes Europe is an important date in our calendar because it gives us the opportunity to meet with key decision-makers to make the case for new routes.
“This event is only one of a number of aviation and tourism events the Bristol Airport team attends throughout the year. Inbound tourism is a vital part of the passenger mix for airlines, so having the support of Destination Bristol helps us to demonstrate the strong tourism offer we have for visitors to the West of England. We are confident we will be able to work together to secure new routes which will benefit the region.”
Destination Bristol chief executive John Hirst added: “Working with Bristol Airport at Routes Europe and its international equivalent has given an unrivalled opportunity to support Bristol Airport’s route development strategy which in turn influences the international strategy for the tourism economy.
“It has also helped develop relationships with individual airlines and airports at the other end of those routes to support inbound tourism. It will be no surprise that there is a strong correlation between the origin of Bristol’s international visitors and the inbound airport routes.
“Working in partnership with the airport, Bath and other regional destinations enables us to build a sustainable future with Bristol as the gateway to the wider South and West.”
The number of foreign visitors using Bristol Airport has almost trebled in the past decade, with more than a million journeys made by overseas visitors last year.
Routes Europe takes place as six new European routes are about to start from Bristol Airport with bmi regional launching flights to Paris and Düsseldorf on April 27 and Nantes on July 4 while easyJet starts its services to Bilbao, Isle of Man and Zante over the next two months.
Continental Airlines ended its direct Bristol-New York service in 2010 after operating it for five years.
