Two hundred Queensland tourism operators will set off from Brisbane by bus today on the Queensland on Tour road show through New South Wales and Victoria as part of the joint Federal and State Governments' $12 million tourism recovery funding package.
Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson and Queensland Minister for Tourism Jan Jarratt said the five day interstate road show would enable Queensland tourism businesses to personally deliver the message that Nothing Beats Queensland for a holiday.
The roadshow has been coordinated by Tourism Queensland and Tourism Australia with the support of Qantas, Stonestreet’s Coaches, Accor Hotels and Queensland Rail Travel.
"The Queensland on Tour road show will roll into towns from Ballina to Bendigo and Wagga Wagga through to Wollongong personally promoting a range of Queensland holiday deals and giveaways," Minister Ferguson said.
"The 200 tourism operators represent the 14 regions of Queensland and include business owners and marketing or sales managers from some of Queensland's largest hotels, through to smaller B&Bs and family-run tour companies.
"Surf schools from the Gold Coast, wineries from Toowoomba, whale watching companies from the Fraser Coast, sailing businesses in the Whitsundays, island resorts from the Tropical North and iconic Outback attractions are just some of the tourism businesses on the road show," Minister Ferguson said.
"It's a great opportunity for those who live and work in Queensland's tourism industry to tell visitors that Nothing Beats Queensland," said Senator Jan McLucas, who represented the Australian Government at the Brisbane launch today.
"Images of flood and cyclone affected Queensland communities were beamed across Australia just a few months ago, so it is critical we continue to show that we're open for business and are welcoming visitors," Senator McLucas said.
"Queensland is one of Australia's favourite holiday spots and as temperatures in the southern states continue to drop, the road show will arrive in regional centres in New South Wales and Victoria and encourage people to head north to take advantage of Queensland's warmer winters."
Senator McLucas said the road show is a recovery initiative that was open to businesses from all sectors of the industry and will help connect participants with a network of interstate trade contacts, media and potential visitors.
The group converged on Brisbane today to interact with travel agents and potential visitors.
"Queensland on Tour is an important component of the overall Nothing Beats Queensland recovery strategy, designed to personally deliver the message to book a Queensland holiday now to support the 115,000 tourism-related businesses in Queensland," Ms Jarratt said.
"Four separate groups will depart Brisbane, criss-crossing New South Wales and Victoria to reinforce the message that Nothing Beats Queensland and encouraging people along the way to book a Queensland holiday," Ms Jarratt said.
"This Queensland on Tour road show will take Queenslanders to our potential holidaymakers and tell them in person that Queensland's tourism destinations have recovered from the floods and cyclones and we're ready to welcome them with open arms," Ms Jarratt said.
"The domestic visitor market for Queensland is the state's bread and butter with Queensland annually welcoming 16.6 million domestic visitors who spend around $11.5 billion during their visits.
"In recent months Tourism Australia and Tourism Queensland have been working hard to spread the message far and wide that Queensland is open for business and those efforts seem to be working, with operators on the Gold Coast, Townsville and Magnetic Island reporting strong Easter trading," Minister Ferguson said.
Dubbo
6 May 2011
Fifty Queensland tourism representatives rolled into Dubbo today to personally deliver the message that Nothing Beats Queensland as Australia’s favourite holiday destination.
Tourism Queensland CEO Anthony Hayes said the group formed part of the Queensland on Tour roadshow, the single largest domestic tourism roadshow in decades, comprising 200 Queensland tourism participants who are spending five days touring NSW and Victoria.
“The participating tourism businesses represent Gold Coast surf schools, South Burnett wineries, whale watching companies from the Fraser Coast, sailing businesses in the Whitsundays, island resorts from the Tropical North and iconic Outback attractions just to name a few,” Mr Hayes said.
Tourism floodgates open06 May, 2011 04:00 AM
Fifty Queensland tourism representatives rolled into Dubbo last night to personally deliver the message that “Nothing Beats Queensland” as Australia’s favourite holiday destination.
The group was formed to demonstrate the state was bouncing back after disastrous flooding and cyclone damage.
“We are open and ready to welcome visitors," Tourism Queensland representative Emma Croft said.
After arriving on a brightly banded bus the group met with local travel agents before preparing to “meet and greet” Dubbo locals at the Church Street rotunda between eight and nine o’clock this morning.
“The roadshow crew pulled into Dubbo late yesterday on brightly branded Queensland coaches before meeting with local travel agents and spent this morning inviting local residents to Queensland.
“They were also in town to promote a range of Queensland holiday deals and giveaways for Dubbo residents the old fashioned way – by taking the message to them in person.
“The roadshow is a recovery initiative that lets those who live and work in Queensland’s tourism industry tell visitors that Nothing Beats Queensland - as Australia’s favourite holiday spot and nothing beats Queenslanders’ resilience and confidence in the future.”
Mr Hayes said four separate groups departed Brisbane on Tuesday tasked with encouraging Queensland’s southern neighbours to book a Queensland holiday along the way.
“The group has travelled through Brisbane, Ballina and Tamworth before arriving in Dubbo spreading the message along the way that Queensland is ready to welcome visitors and will pull attend the Caravan and Camping Show in Sydney tomorrow,” he said.
“These days we are used to researching our next holiday on the internet or at a travel agent where we don’t actually get to meet the locals until we get to our holiday destination.
“This is our way of taking a bit of Queensland ‘shine’ to our visitors before they arrive.”
Mr Hayes said Queensland had a rough start to the year, but the state was bouncing back with Easter proving to be a return in confidence for the state’s tourism industry.
“Our focus is now on continuing the momentum we’ve been building through the Nothing Beats Queensland recovery campaign to help Queensland’s tourism industry through the traditionally slower post-Easter period,” he said.
Mr Hayes said the Queensland on Tour roadshow was another initiative that formed part of the joint State and Federal Government’s $12 million tourism recovery funding package.
“The roadshow complements a range of other recovery initiatives rolled out in recent months including the global media tour we held in March with 200 journalists from around the world and the aggressive Nothing Beats Queensland marketing campaign currently rolling out around Australia,” he said.
“The roadshow has been coordinated by Tourism Queensland and Tourism Australia with the support of Qantas, Stonestreet’s Coaches, Accor Hotels and Queensland Rail Travel,” he said.
“Queensland annually welcomes approximately 16 million domestic visitors who spend around $11.4 billion on their visits, so it’s imperative that we continue to encourage Aussies to enjoy a holiday in Queensland, Where Australia Shines.”
Two hundred Queensland tourism operators will set out on a Queensland on Tour Roadshow through New South Wales and Victoria next month.
The roadshow is part of the joint State and Federal Governments AUD12 million tourism recovery funding package.
In a joint statement, Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson, Queensland Senator Jan McLucas and Queensland Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business, Jan Jarratt, said the five day road-show would help stimulate travel to Queensland from the domestic market.
“Interest in international visitors often overshadows the fact that domestic travel actually makes up 75% of the total tourism market, which is why the Queensland on Tour- Roadshow initiative has the potential to be so effective,” Ferguson said.
“The Australian Tourism Exchange [which ended in Sydney last week] is about bringing international buyers to meet international sellers – the roadshow will complement this activity by taking domestic sellers to domestic buyers including travel agents and interstate consumers.”
The 200 tourism operators represent wineries, attractions, tour and event companies and accommodation providers throughout the 14 regions of Queensland. They will be bussed down the East Coast courtesy of Stonestreet’s Coaches from Toowoomba on their journey as part of a AUD4.5 million interstate marketing campaign to spread the message that Queensland is open for business.
“The Australian and Queensland Governments have worked closely to help Queensland’s $9.2 billion tourism industry recover from the summer floods and cyclone and reinforce that Nothing Beats Queensland for a holiday,” Ferguson said.
“The message has been spread far and wide including through print and online advertising, a radio blitz in China, a state tour with 200 international journalists and the Foreign Minister’s support this week with a visit to the State by Canberra’s diplomatic corps.”
The roadshow participants will arrive in Brisbane on Tuesday 3 May and divide into four groups, two of which will travel south east and west visiting a range of regional centres on course for Sydney.
The other two groups will fly with tour partner Qantas directly to Melbourne and drive north before all four meet at the Caravan and Camping Show in Sydney on Saturday 7 May. Accommodation along the journey has been generously provided by Accor Hotels.
Ms Jarratt said some 115,000 tourism-related businesses operated in Queensland and it was essential to help them get back on their feet as quickly as possible.
“The recovery effort is in full swing and I think it’s fair to say that the world now knows nothing beats the resilience of Queensland’s tourism industry or Queensland as a destination,” she said.
“This roadshow is an important component of our recovery strategy, designed to personally deliver the message that to Aussies to book a Queensland holiday now to support the state’s $9.2 billion tourism industry
According to the Mayan Calendar the end of the world is nigh. Hmmm... Sounds like a great reason to set a travel bucket list for 2012. 
