February 2010

Ben Southall’s Media Tour of the US and Canada

"Best Job in the World" winner, Ben Southall, made North America the first stop on his world tour promoting Queensland. During his two week trip, Ben appeared with Kathie Lee and Hoda the Today Show, Fox & Friends, KTLA, the Gayle King Show and Global and CTV in Canada.

While in New York, Ben and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh handed out Queensland beach bags to passers-by in Times Square and mailed a letter to US President Barack Obama inviting him to visit Queensland during his upcoming Australian trip.

Click here to see Ben’s chat with Kathie Lee and Hoda of the Today Show, which attracts around 1.5 million viewers.

"Best Job in the World" wins "Best of Show" at the 2009 HSMAI Awards

The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) recognized Tourism Queensland’s "Best Job in the World" campaign with the much coveted Best of Show, Public Relations in the 53rd annual Adrian Awards Competition, the largest and most prestigious travel marketing competition globally.

The HSMAI believed the results of the campaign spoke for themselves with over $400 million in global publicity was generated, reaching 3 billion people and the campaign’s website (islandreefjob.com) received over 8 million hits.

This year’s contest attracted nearly 1,100 entries from around the world, with entries judged by top executives from all sectors of the industry. Only three Best of Show awards were given out that included the best of the Public Relations, Advertising and Web Marketing divisions.

Tourism Queensland also received two Platinum Awards Adrian Awards - one for public relations and one for web marketing excellence - to accompany the prestigious Best of Show Award.

Click here for more information on the 2009 HSMAI Awards.

Win a VIP Trip to the Great Sunshine Way and a $30k Ad Campaign for Your Agency!!

TQ's "Love the Wild Life" trade campaign is a fantastic VIP trip to the Great Sunshine Way for 30 travel agents that qualify, PLUS the opportunity for a lucky travel agency to feature in a $30,000 Queensland consumer ad campaign. Between 1 January and 30 April 2010, every travel agent that books six direct flights from Los Angeles to Brisbane qualifies for the VIP trip (max. 30 agents). Then, every agent who qualifies submits their marketing idea on how they would promote the Great Sunshine Way to North America. The best response (as judged by TQ) will win placement in a $30,000 Queensland consumer marketing campaign.

Find our more about the Great Sunshine Way with our partners:
Brisbane Marketing - www.brisbanemarketing.com
Gold Coast Tourism - www.verygoldcoast.com
Tourism Sunshine Coast - www.tourismsunshinecoast.com.au

So far, we have had five agents qualify to come on the Great Sunshine Way famil, and entries are still coming in strong, so make sure you log your bookings on the website today!!!

Click here for more details on the campaign.

Team Cairns Campaign

Tourism Queensland, Tourism Tropical North Queensland and Qantas have teamed up to promote a very special airfare to Cairns. The "Team Cairns" campaign offers flights flight to Cairns from $449 each way from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Cairns (based on round-trip economy purchase) for bookings made before March 31 2010. Also included is one stop over in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Auckland. Conditions apply - click here for more info.

Increase Your Knowledge of Queensland!

Tourism Queensland is proud to offer destination and product training to our travel agent partners using web based technology. There are a wide range of topics and products featured to assist you with selling Queensland.
Register at Queensland Online http://tourismqueensland.webex.com to attend a free Queensland Online training session!

Can’t make it for the live session? No worries! The sessions are recorded and you can enjoy them at your leisure. Click here to take a look at the past topics and let us help you increase your sales to Queensland.

Kingfisher Bay Resort

Let your clients discover the magnificent World Heritage-listed Fraser Island, with its superb beaches, lakes and rainforests. Award-winning Kingfisher Bay Resort is the perfect base to discover the island where rangers guide eco tours, whale and dolphin watch cruises and nature walks. Visit www.kingfisherbay.com for more information.

Special Offer: With our stay 3 / pay 2 deal guests can enjoy an an extra day and night to experience the natural beauty of Fraser Island, take to the tracks by 4WD, explore deserted beaches or just relax and soak up the view.

Special valid: for sales up to 31 March 2010.
Travel period: valid up to 30 September / Blackout period: 02 April 2010 - 5 April 2010 (Easter)

Ocean Spirit Cruises

Ocean Spirit Cruises offers daily cruises to magnificent Great Barrier Reef. Sail aboard our spacious catamarans and enjoy a reef experience second to none, with a wide range of activities including snorkeling, scuba diving, semi-submersible coral viewing, capture the spirit of the Great Barrier Reef - the absolute best that nature has to offer. www.oceanspirit.com.au

2010 ANZ Ladies Masters (Gold Coast), 4 Mar 2010 to 7 Mar 2010

The ANZ Ladies Masters is the premier women's golf tournament in the Southern Hemisphere and is one of the most successful sporting events for women in Australia in terms of television and print media coverage, sponsorship and attendees.
Co-sanctioned by the Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG) and the Ladies European Tour (LET), the event each year attracts the cream of women’s international golfers to Queensland's Gold Coast.

The ANZ Ladies Masters has been won by some of the greatest names in world golf such as Annika Sorrenstam (Sweden), Laura Davies (ENG) and Karrie Webb (AUS). Australian Katherine Hull was the Ladies Masters' champion in 2009 and she has been confirmed to defend her title in 2010.
Visit www.anzladiesmasters.com.au for details.

Where is© Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships
(Kurrawa Beach, Broadbeach, Gold Coast), 16 Mar 2010 to 21 Mar 2010

The Australian Surf Life Saving Championships is the largest sporting event of its type in the world and is uniquely Australian, attracting an average 7,000 competitors who contest more than 295 events including board races, swim, Ironman and Ironwoman, beach events and much more. Free to the public, the ‘Aussies’ provide plenty of thrills and spills for all spectators. www.aussiechamps.com.au/Home.aspx

Feast of the Senses (Innisfail, Tropical North Queensland), 19 Mar 2010 to 28 Mar 2010

The Feast of the Senses is a two-week festival that tantalises the five senses of taste, sight, touch, sound and smell with the treasures of the Ultratropics. Activities in 2010 will focus around three areas - A Feast of Tropical Foods and Produce, a Feast of Nature and a Feast of Culture. Major events during the festival include Food Trail bus tours, a Wine and Cheese Tasting, a Gala Dinner highlighting local produce and a Market Day. Festival events will be held across the Cassowary Coast region. www.feastofthesenses.com.au

2010 Mooloolaba Triathlon Festival (Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast), 26 Mar 2010 to 28 Mar 2010

The Mooloolaba Triathlon, now the second largest Triathlon in Australia, is the highlight of a three-day multisport festival that is jam-packed with crowd pleasers.

As well as drawing many local competitors, the Mooloolaba Triathlon attracts some of the top triathletes from across Australia and the world.
The program for 2010 will include all the favorites including the Asics Twilight 5km Run, Mooloolaba Ocean Swim, The Courier-Mail Mooloolaba Superkidz Triathlon, Mooloolaba Triathlon and the Mooloolaba Teams Triathlon.

While the Festival is a celebration of sport, spectators can also visit the Mooloolaba Festival Lifestlye Expo and enjoy the many shops, cafes and restaurants along the Mooloolaba Esplanade. www.usmevents.com.au/mooltri/

Name: Stephanie Siebert
Title: International Sales and Marketing Manager
Company: Kingfisher Bay Resort Group Fraser Island
Located in: Fraser Island
Nickname: In Germany most people call me Steffi which I like, some people use it here as well however as Australians are known for shortening everything it is simply Steph.
How can Stephanie help you: Everything you need to know to promote and sell Fraser Island, the Fraser Coast, Southern Queensland's Great Sunshine Way including the Sunshine Coast and Lamington National Park. Fraser Island and the whole of Southern Queensland offer the perfect opportunity for your clients to get right into their Australian vacation shortly after the arrival into Brisbane. Since Stephanie has traveled extensively in Australia she can also offer travel tips and suggestions and how you can link other parts of this great country with Fraser Island.
Favorite Queensland vacation: When I traveled around Australia 10 years ago Fraser Island was one of my favorite spots. Now working here feels very rewarding because I can promote something that I so enjoyed as a tourist. I believe this world heritage listed island offers so much as it combines nature, an Australian island and beach experience which is so easily accessible. Last year my best friend from Germany came over and we went on a Kingfisher Bay Resort personalized ranger guided tour. Your own Fraser expert, what an experience! You see all the highlights in your own time and learn so much about the nature, Aboriginal and European history. My all time favorite - a swim at crystal clear Lake Mackenzie (good for jewellery cleaning and rejuvenation at the same time!).
Claim to fame: At high school we had to translate some of Bill Clinton's first Inaugural address which I didn't find easy until I moved to the States, learned English properly and was fortunate enough to meet the man himself.
Email: stephanie_siebert@kingfisherbay.com
Website: www.kingfisherbay.com