With border closures and restrictions no longer being a concern for travellers, the wider distribution of our destination’s product is now more vital than ever.
We have been extremely fortunate here in Bundaberg, Southern Great Barrier Reef (SGBR) with the Southeast Queensland market turning out in force to explore and support in their home state due to the pandemic. Building on our many years of successful destination marketing throughout Queensland, most operators reported record occupancy since June 2020 to December 2021 as our state rediscovered our epic backyard.
Tourism trade is a strategy for forward business, which supplements a company’s direct bookings and broadens product awareness around Australia and around the world. The Queensland market has been vital for the region since COVID, but with so much competition around , rebuilding your brand awareness further afield will be vital to continue your and the destination's success.
Since the announcement of the reopening of international borders, our inbound trade partners around the world are busy quoting and booking Australian holidays, with many wanting 2023-24 tariffs. We have worked hard over the past two years to keep our relationships with our global trade partners strong and are looking forward to reconnecting with all of them across our trade missions and events over the next 12 months.
How Can You Get Involved?
- Are you a tourism operator who is trade ready and want to be involved in the destination activity?
- Are your unsure what ‘trade ready’ means but you’re interested in growing your business?
- Are you are a key distribution partner and would like to include the Bundaberg region and the Southern Great Barrier Reef in your portfolio?
Loni Hammond is BT’s Trade and Industry Development Executive and has been working in the tourism trade space for over 17 years as both an operator and an RTO representative. Contact her on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Austrade Export Marketing Development Grant (EMDG) Fund
Bundaberg Tourism has been awarded over $100,000 in additional funding to grow destination awareness in key international target markets.
Austrade’s Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) program helps Australian businesses grow their exports in international markets. These grants encourage small to medium enterprises to market and promote their goods and services globally.
Bundaberg Tourism put together a destination export marketing plan and budget to develop the Bundaberg, Southern Great Barrier Reef’s presence in key target markets and the successful application means that over $100,000 funding is available to Bundaberg Tourism in 2022 and 2023.
This funding will be matched by Bundaberg Tourism and local industry contribution and the program will further develop the region’s product and visitor experiences for international tourism distribution and enhance the presence of the Southern Great Barrier Reef (SGBR) destination across the globe through targeted representation and in-market activity.
Bundaberg Tourism has facilitated Distribution Marketing Plan meetings with its key tourism trade leaders including Bundaberg Rum, Hinkler Hall of Aviation, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, & Macadamia’s Australia.
‘The SGBR is known for our collective spirit, and our industry is excited to work collaboratively on this long-term international marketing effort for the region’ states Loni Hammond, our Trade and Industry Development Executive.
Projects already undertaken in 2022 include March’s five-day sales mission across three states meeting inbound agents and industry stake holders, the development of product trade training videos and support to operators attending Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) in May 2022.
Industry’s financial contribution and participation along with Bundaberg Tourism’s matched funding and dedicated staff member demonstrates the key role tourism plays in the growth of our regional economy.
Tourism Australia’s National Experience Content Initiative (NECI)
The Bundaberg Region is delighted to be part of Tourism Australia's $12 million NECI project, a content creation initiative aimed at supporting tourism businesses across Australia in their recovery and driving increased visitation by helping them to better market their experiences and attractions.
The National Experience Content Initiative will provide a suite of new imagery and footage for up to 1,500 tourism experiences from around 57 regions across Australia to ensure that operator’s marketing materials and online product listings stand out in search results and are booked more often by domestic and international travelers.
An EOI was sent from Bundaberg Tourism to over 25 region operators in November 2021. Filming has now commenced in the region, and 19 operators from the Bundaberg Region will have high quality stills and videos of their product used worldwide at the completion of the NECI project.
New Trade Product for Bundaberg
It is exciting to announce the new tourism trade product to the destination's portfolio. We welcome The Bundaberg Barrel, Fairymead House, BIG4 Breeze Bargara and BIG4 Breeze Cania Gorge to our Bundaberg, Southern Great Barrier Reef leaders’ family.
UPCOMING PROJECTS & EVENTS
Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE)
The Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), the largest tourism trade event in Australia is set to take place in 2022 as a hybrid event. ATE Live will be held in Sydney from 15 to 18 May. ATE Online will follow from 24 to 26 May.
Congratulations to Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, Macadamia’s Australia, Splitters Farm and Villa Mirasol Motor Inn for being accepted to attend and for your tireless work in growing your business and the destination.
Bundaberg Tourism will send Loni Hammond, Trade & Industry Development Executive, and Ellie Tonkin, Marketing Manager, to represent the whole of destination in appointments with buyers and connecting with high level stakeholders to grow the destination’s presence in key international markets.
ATE Famils
One of the exciting outcomes of ATE is the number of international trade partners who tour Australia before and after attending the trade event to see and experience the nation’s leading tourism regions.
We looking forward to hosting some of our trade partners in Bundaberg over the coming weeks.
Southern Great Barrier Reef Trade Manual Update
The operators and RTOs of Bundaberg, Gladstone and Capricorn have been working tirelessly to update one of our key trade training tools, the SGBR Product Manual. This vital resource is distributed to thousands of global trade partners each year and the 2022/23 version will be released just before ATE.
NEW ITINERARIES, PACKAGES & OPPORTUNITIES
Stray Travel Group Itinerary
The SGBR has been included in a new itinerary offered through Stray Travel. See it here.
Terra Nova Group Tours
We were fortunate to host Daniela Gailer from Terra Nova Tours in February. Terra Nova Tours are one of the key sellers of group tour product to operators in Germany. Bundaberg, SGBR was their first destination to famil since the international lock down.
Bundaberg coordinated a 3-night and 4-day famil of the region, where Daniela experienced 10 operator's product offering. Thank you to everyone who helped support her visit by way of FOC (Free of Charge) or industry rates, this is an important strategy in getting Bundaberg, SGBR exposed in more markets.
We look forward to working with Terra Nova Tours on itinerary development for 2023/24
RECAP OF RECENT ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) Virtual Meeting Place November 2021
BT attended a 3-half day virtual event representing the wider destination and our trade operators in November 2021. The event is one of 2 yearly inbound trade events that ATEC host and both are notable events on the Trade Calendar.
A detailed report detailing opportunities has been provided to the Bundaberg, SGBR leaders for action.
TEQ In-Region Famil November 2021
Based on feedback from the Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) network TEQ took the opportunity to upskill and grow their marketing team's product knowledge of Queensland’s destinations through small-group famils into Bundaberg. Bundaberg Tourism welcomed four TEQ staff on a four-day, three-night itinerary where they met and experienced 18 tourism products.
The famil program is designed to:
- Grow TEQ Global Marketing team members’ individual/team destination product knowledge
- Provide opportunities for RTO colleagues to collaborate with TEQ team members and share regional strategies and activities
- Provide opportunities for industry to engage with TEQ Global Marketing team members, showcasing their product or experience
Sales Mission Success
In early March 2022, Bundaberg Tourism coordinated and hosted a five-day sales mission supported by their leading tourism trade operators. Thank you to Macadamia’s Australia, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, Lady Musgrave Experience and Splitters Farm, for joining BT as well as Kellys Beach Resort, The Bundaberg Barrell and Villa Mirasol for financially contributing to the destinations first interstate sales mission in 2.5 years. From 7-11 March we saw over 25 businesses and 40 agents and stakeholders across three states.
Not only are there some great opportunities for operators and Bundaberg Tourism it was invaluable to get insight on the needs of different markets going forward and how we can competitively position the destination and support our trade partners.
The operators who attended and contributed to the mission have received the detailed report which includes overall industry comments, notes on key opportunities, full contact details for each buyer and appointment notes.
