Gold Coast Invites Queenslanders to Come Back and Play

Queenslanders are being urged to holiday on the Gold Coast as the first burst of campaign activity launches to support struggling operators looking to capitalise on a tourism-led recovery.

Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista said the new campaign launched on 15 June, is the first step in revitalising Gold Coast's tourism sector with the push set to be extended interstate once border restrictions are lifted.

“Now that intrastate travel restrictions have eased, we've wasted no time in rolling out our 'Come Back and Play' campaof a four-phased plan to trigger a tourism-led economic recovery by reminding Aussies there's no better place to holiday than in Australia's favourite playground.

“We are focused on reanimating Gold Coast's economy to support the one in seven Gold Coasters employed in the tourism sector, alongside our operators, who have felt the brunt of devastation over the past five months.”The 14-week campaign adapts core experiences and creative components from Destination Gold Coast's previous successful domestic marketing campaigns that resulted in a record-breaking 14.2 million visitors to the Gold Coast throughout 2019.

Compelling vision of the Gold Coast will be broadcast across free-to-air TV and radio, digital and social media placements to entice audiences to come and play with a range of holiday deals.

Ms Battista said the latest campaign will leverage appetite for drive holidays and primarily target high-spending travellers from Brisbane and regional Queensland.

“Our chief priority is to jump-start the domestic market by stimulating demand, visitation and expenditure for the city,” she said.

“In the immediate term this will be to attract intrastate visitors eager to explore attractions and experiences and engage in activities they've missed out on, like dining in at a restaurant or café.”

Destination Gold Coast's suite of 'remind' videos released last month captured the hearts and minds of more than 5 million Aussie and Kiwi viewers during various stages of lockdown, presenting a tactical opportunity to appeal to a captive audience.

A wealth of recent research consistently shows the Gold Coast near or at the top of the list for post-COVID interstate travel.

Ms Battista said the Gold Coast had unfortunately been unable to fully capitalise on the demand as a result of border closures and was hoping interstate travellers would be welcomed back as soon as it was deemed safe to do so.

“Intrastate travel is a welcome step for Gold Coast tourism's road to recovery, but it is not enough to make up for the shortfall of an estimated financial loss of $310 million per month, after the region arguably the most impacted by the pandemic, was decimated in its wake,” she said.

Twelve experiences, events and products from across the Gold Coast that feature in the campaign include:

• Rainbow Bay, Coolangatta
• Sea World, Main Beach
• Warner Bros. Movie World, Oxenford
• Miami Marketta, Miami
• SWELL Sculpture Festival, Currumbin
• Jumpinpin, South Stradbroke Island
• Curtis Falls, Tamborine Mountain
• Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, Tallebudgera Valley
• Gold Coast Broadwater
• Dreamworld, Coomera
• Tallebudgera Creek
• Sea World Cruises, Main Beach

Please see the link to embed the 60-second 'Come Back and Play' campaign TVC here. View DGC's Come Back and Play recovery plan, research and campaign factsheet here.

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Website: www.DestinationGoldCoast.com