Get unlimited access to the latest travel industry news and analysis, comment on articles and sign up to newsletters.
Register for free
Already registered? Login here or below.
Having difficulty logging in? Try these tips, or contact support@flymy.co.uk
Agents taking part in a recent Tourism and Events Queensland fam trip with Qantas share their take-home tips for selling the state with Abigail Challenor.
As David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef documentary beamed into homes in January, Google searches for the Unesco World Heritage Site hit a 10-year high among UK consumers.
Jason Matthews, trade marketing executive at Tourism and Events Queensland, explained that the reef had always been Queensland’s “greatest gem” but it was currently a particularly “hot topic”. Piggybacking off this excitement the tourism board, in conjunction with Qantas, ran Queensland-on-Q, a fam trip in March offering 30 UK agents the opportunity to explore the state.
“Showcasing the variety of experiences on the reef is key,” said Matthews. “But we also want agents to see the diversity of the coastal regions Queensland has to offer. The Gold Coast will be in the spotlight over the next two years as it builds up to hosting the Commonwealth Games and the foodie experiences on the Sunshine Coast are just fantastic. Not only is there a wealth of local, natural produce but it is served in incredible locations whether that’s overlooking a lake or sat on Noosa beach.
“We also wanted to show agents the variety of indigenous experiences on offer in Queensland with hands-on experiences such as Aboriginal walks and learning how to throw a boomerang. And it was really important for them to see the geography of the state and to understand the locations of the different destinations, which will help them when planning itineraries as some distances are probably further than they think. It might, for example, be more appropriate to fly from Brisbane to Cairns to maximise on time rather than driving.”
Tom Innes of STA Glasgow.
Speaking to agents at the end of the trip, it’s clear they had picked up useful selling points and beaten a number of misconceptions.
Jessica Green, an Australia specialist at Round The World Experts, said: “My customers generally want to tick off the iconic sights when they visit Australia so the Great Barrier Reef is almost always on their list.
“Having experienced so much more of Queensland, I will definitely recommend they travel beyond this now and suggest a trip out on the Noosa Everglades and visiting Rainbow Beach. “
Lots of my clients fly into Cairns to see the reef, then travel up to Port Douglas but now I’ll suggest flying into Brisbane and driving up to Noosa as it’s a great reflection of the Aussie lifestyle and has those amazing excursions to offer.”
Tom Innes, assistant manager at STA Glasgow, agreed: “As a whole Australia is our number one destination but often our clients think there isn’t much to see between Brisbane and Cairns. Now I’d say Noosa, Rainbow Beach and Fraser Island should be on their itinerary as there is so much to do. The Noosa Everglades was the biggest surprise for me. Our clients are looking for adventure and a three-mile kayak through one of only two everglade systems in the world is unmissable.”
Paula Martin, agency sales at 1st Class Holidays, said she found it useful to get a feel for where different destinations and resorts were located.
“It will be so useful when booking a tailor-made itinerary. We had a packed itinerary, which made me aware of how much time you need to allow for clients to do a lot while still enjoying a relaxing break.
“We usually book clients into Port Douglas for four nights and having been there I’m convinced that is necessary. They could do two days of excursions such as heading up to Kuranda, the rainforest town, and the Jungle Surfing zip line experience in the Daintree rainforest and then have two leisurely days enjoying the beach and their resort.”
Kate Pearson, sales consultant at Inspired by Australasia, said her clients often did self-drive itineraries so “understanding the distances between the cities and towns is really useful as is learning where to break up those journeys and what tours to do”. She was particularly taken by Rainbow Beach and would now consider it as an alternative to Fraser Island.
Jenny Lockwood of Thomas Cook, Honeybourne Way.
The Gold Coast was perhaps the area that surprised agents most with many saying they had thought it could be a bit tacky prior to the trip.
“There is so much to do on the Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise made a great base,” said Jennifer Lockwood, assistant manager at Thomas Cook, Honeybourne Way in Cheltenham.
Pearson said: “The SkyPoint Observation Deck in Surfers Paradise was a real highlight. It was great for relaxing sundowners and getting your bearings.”
Paul Philpotts, owner of Beacon Travel in East Sussex, last visited Queensland 11 years ago and summed up his fam trip experience saying: “It seems so much more sophisticated now. At Rainbow Beach we met a range of tour operators offering excursions such as local food tours and 4x4 trips that are a far cry from the backpacker experiences I saw last time I visited. Even Surfers Paradise, which I didn’t have high hopes for, had such a beautiful beach.”
Martin said: “Youngsters will love the 4x4 drive up into the rainforest while older clients would have a great time relaxing and taking it in from O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.”
The agents travelled out to Queensland with Qantas and Tom Hazleden, partnerships adviser at the airline said: “Queensland has always had a special relationship with Qantas. It’s where the airline was born and our Walkabout Pass means it’s really easy and affordable for UK visitors to reach the state via our Gateways of Melbourne and Sydney.”
Martin said Qantas was the airline she used most for Australia itineraries as it has the most direct flights and the service is friendly and efficient.
“The Airbus A380 is lovely and spacious and the onboard service was just the right level of attentiveness.”
