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TOURISM operators were today invited to join workshops promised to provide the necessary tools to take advantage of China’s growing outbound travel market.
Tourism Queensland’s (TQ) ‘Towards 2016 China Roadshow’ will visit the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Whitsundays and North Queensland to discuss how to provide the state’s second-largest visitor market with ‘quality experiences’.
“They will gain market insights from the Federal Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Federal Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism and Queensland’s Office of Fair Trading,” says CEO Anthony Hayes.
“The workshops will also provide an opportunity for Tourism Queensland to release its Setting the Direction for the China Market 2012-2016 paper … to review all aspects of our relationship with the China market, including assessing how the industry can best engage with this market in future.”
TQ has commenced consumer research on how to effectively target mainland Chinese travellers.
“[We want] to find out what content such as images and website copy entice Chinese nationals to book a holiday to Queensland and how they plan and book non-group tour holidays to Queensland,” says Hayes.
“We will also run marketing and publicity campaigns in partnership with Australian-based Chinese media and travel agents to promote Queensland to Chinese nationals, particularly those in Sydney and Melbourne.”
Queensland Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games Jann Stuckey reveals 203,000 Chinese nationals visited the Sunshine State in the past 12 months, spending a combined $422 million.
“By 2016 it’s predicted that Queensland will welcome more than double this number – enough to fill 1400 Airbus 330s,” she says.
“While this offers enormous potential for our industry, it’s critical we have the tools to host 400,000 or more Chinese visitors and importantly, to give them the experiences they’re looking for.”
More info at: tourismqueensland.eventbrite.com.au
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