An international campaign marketing Great Barrier Reef drive holidays
has sold almost two and half times more flights into Queensland than
anticipated and seen an increase in German visitors booking campervans
for travel through Queensland.
The Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) campaign which ran from November
2018 to April 2019 with wholesale trade partners in Germany, showcased
the diverse experiences on offer that make the Great Barrier Reef the
ultimate road trip.
Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said more than 600
travel agents were trained and updated on selling Great Barrier Reef
holidays as part of the campaign.
“The Great Barrier Reef is our greatest natural tourism asset – we want
more people from around the world to experience this icon,” she said.
“This campaign is about bringing more tourists to Queensland to support local jobs and stimulate our economy.
“Increasing visitor expenditure through longer stays and more activities
from our traditional international markets is a vital strategy for the
government.
“This campaign was about capitalising on the market’s desire to experience multiple destinations in one trip,” Ms Jones said.
Ms Jones said all campaign targets were exceeded, with website
visitation to campaign partners Explorer Fernreisen and Boomerang Reisen
doubling and almost tripling expectations.
“We saw flights booked to Brisbane and Cairns exceed targets by two and a
half times and a double digit percentage increase in campervan hire
bookings through one trade wholesale partner.
In an industry first, all seven Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs)
representing the length of the Great Barrier Reef collaboratively funded
and supported the campaign together with TEQ’s European-based team.
“TEQ has already scheduled in phase two of the campaign commencing next month,” Ms Jones said.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Pip Close said the campaign positioned the reef as a key Australian leisure destination.
“The campaign showed the diverse Australian experiences that Germans
love, including unique wildlife, ancient rainforest, Indigenous culture
and the beach lifestyle,” Ms Close said.
“Germans are very sensitive environmentalists therefore it is important
to help them understand that the Reef does have challenges but it is
very much alive and worth visiting.”
Tourism Whitsundays CEO Tash Wheeler believes the campaign is an
important piece of marketing activity for destinations along the Great
Barrier Reef.
“Germany is a key market for Whitsundays visitation, this campaign
partnership has been successful in showcasing to trade and wholesale
partners the incredible experiences on offer in the Whitsundays and
along the Queensland Coast.”
Townsville Enterprise CEO, Patricia O’Callaghan said
Townsville Enterprise was proud to be a part of the cooperative
partnership between the RTOs on the Great Barrier Reef and Tourism and
Events Queensland.
“The results are a true testament to what can be achieved through collaboration,” Ms O’Callaghan said.
“The German visitor is a key international market for Townsville North
Queensland and it was a great opportunity to work on a campaign focused
on encouraging regional dispersal and showcasing all the unique ways
they can experience the Great Barrier Reef on a driving holiday.”
Mackay Tourism General Manager Tas Webber welcomed the outstanding results from TEQ’s campaign.
“Germans represent the leading source of international visitation into
The Mackay Region. These travellers seek out the unspoilt natural
attractions that you simply don’t get anywhere else,” Mr Webber said.
“From diving on the Great Barrier Reef, to our very own wallabies on the
beach at Cape Hillsborough each sunrise, these are hero experiences
that stand out to German tourists and give Queensland a competitive edge
in the adventure and ecotourism markets.”
Part of the Southern Great Barrier Reef Regional tourism collaboration,
Capricorn Enterprise CEO Mary Carroll has hailed the campaign a great
success.
“Our diversity of exceptional experiences in the best managed reef in
the world teamed with our passionate tourism industry and trade
relationships have provided the perfect foundation for this
collaborative campaign.”
“By working together and showcasing these diverse experiences, we are
re-energizing our traditional western markets by offering numerous
reasons to visit Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef.”
General Manager Bundaberg Tourism Katherine Reid said the collaborative
effort enabled RTOs to stretch marketing dollars further and tap
directly into markets that couldn’t normally be reached through
individual efforts.
“Working closely with TEQ and our Great Barrier Reef partners has given
us the opportunity to showcase the diversity of Queensland experiences
and deliver destination awareness, conversion to bookings for our
industry, and boosting our regional economies,” Ms Reid said.
There were 80,000 visitors from Germany to Queensland in the year ended
March 2019, spending $163.9 million. It is classed by TEQ as a ‘grow’
market, forecast to deliver above average growth.
www.teq.queensland.com
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