Cheap flights to Gold Coast, Cairns, Whitsundays, Tasmania and more in tourism package

Hundreds of thousands of heavily discounted airfares will soon be up for grabs as the federal government foots half the bill to encourage Aussies to holiday domestically in tourist spots struggling without international visitors.

From sunny Cairns — the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest and some of Queensland’s most spectacular hikes — south to rural Tasmania’s mix of natural beauty and culinary hedonism, there are 13 regions on offer.

FULL LIST OF FLIGHT ROUTES BELOW

There are expected to be about 46,000 half-price tickets available per week, up to a total of 800,000 cheap airfares.

How do I buy a discounted fight?

According to the government, all you have to do is visit your chosen airline’s website from April 1 to take advantage.

Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar are expected to be the main airlines operating the routes but smaller carriers are also expected to get involved.

To qualify for the discount, the carrier must have already flown that route in the previous two years.

The government warns these may change depending on airline negotiations and demand:

Tropical North Queensland (Queensland)

Whitsundays and Mackay region (Queensland)

Lasseter and Alice Springs (Northern Territory)

Launceston, Devonport and Burnie (Tasmania)

Broome (Western Australia)

Merimbula (New South Wales)

Kangaroo Island (South Australia)