Townsville Tourism Operators go Digital for Chinese Visitors

Townsville tourism operators have the opportunity to broaden their marketing skills today at the ‘Digital Marketing for the China Market’ workshop.

Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games Jann Stuckey said the workshop is designed to help tourism operators target Chinese free independent travellers (FITs).

“The latest International Visitor Statistics show Chinese visitors to Queensland increased 24 per cent compared to the same period last year.

“With additional China Southern and China Eastern flights scheduled to arrive in Queensland in the new year, there is an enormous opportunity for tourism operators to take advantage of this growing visitor market.

“Unlike Chinese tour groups, Chinese independent travellers structure their own travel and tend to search for information based on experiences and referrals from friends and relatives, rather than available packages.

“For this reason, it is important tourism operators broaden their marketing activities when it comes to targeting Chinese independent travellers.”

Today’s workshop will cover topics such as web design and hosting, search-engine marketing and social media and is best suited to operators who already have good digital marketing knowledge and some experience in the China market.

Townsville Enterprise Limited CEO David Kippin said the workshop would assist the region’s operators in attracting Chinese travellers to their business through their websites and online marketing activities.

“The workshop will educate our operators on what the Chinese traveller is seeking online, allowing operators to ensure that their website and other digital assets are suitably equipped,”Mr Kippin said.

“Key operators in the region are working towards attracting a greater share of the Chinese market and through Townsville Enterprise’s strategic partnership with SeaLink’s International Team operators will have greater access to this market,” he said.

The digital workshop is one of several to be held in Townsville this week with others to covered topics such as increasing website traffic, planning an online strategy, social media basics and advance social media.