With intrastate travel ‘good to go’ and the tourism industry beginning to reopen its doors, Townsville Enterprise is today launching a new marketing campaign to help revive the tourism sector these school holidays.
By leveraging the upcoming school holidays to drive visitation from the south-east as well as encouraging locals to holiday locally, the ‘These Moments Matter’ campaign aims to support the local tourism and hospitality industry following the impacts of COVID-19. The winter and school holiday period are traditionally the strongest for Townsville and North Queensland’s visitor numbers and a time of year the industry heavily relies upon, which is now more important than ever following months of business hibernation.
Townsville Enterprise Tourism & Events Director, Lisa Woolfe said there is no better time to experience everything North Queensland has on offer, or even rediscover the region and create new memories with family.
“There has never been a better time to get out and explore Townsville North Queensland. With spectacular weather, world-class experiences and some incredible deals on offer, experiencing our region will not only provide the opportunity to connect with loved ones, but support an industry that needs it now more than ever,” said Ms Woolfe.
“Usually at this time of year we would be welcoming visitors from across the world exploring all the wonder our region has to offer, and now it’s exclusive for Queenslanders to enjoy and experience with their family.
“It’s time to see what all the fuss is about and why people travel from the other side of the world to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, learn about our World Heritage-listed rainforests, cuddle koalas, or have a genuine outback Australia experience.
“Whilst international and interstate travel is off the table these school holidays, this campaign is a reminder to Queenslanders that you don’t have to go far to experience a memorable family holiday, because these are the moments that truly matter.”
The concept behind the ‘These Moments Matter’ campaign is two-fold. First, it resonates with families who have been locked down for months and are looking to reconnect and rediscover (or discover if from out-of-town) Townsville North Queensland, making lasting memories with family in a time where connection to loved ones has never been more important.
Secondly, the campaign theme aligns with the ‘support local’ message, highlighting that now is the moment that matters in supporting the region’s operators and making the most of travel opportunities to reinvigorate the tourism and hospitality industry.
Ms Woolfe says the campaign will be delivered across two main audience segments - the drive and fly market - in partnership with Jetstar and Townsville Airport, anticipated to drive thousands of visitors to the region.
“The campaign theme will be delivered across digital platforms, print, radio and outdoor advertising and will feature family-centric imagery and video along with click-through deals to support our operators, as well as a discounted $114 Jetstar flight offer aimed at visitors from the south-east,” she said.
“The local drive market will focus on encouraging local travellers to explore their own backyard, and book holidays with their children over the school holiday period. The partnership with Jetstar will target families, and the Visiting Friends and Relatives market, travelling from Brisbane on the Jetstar flights direct to Townsville, which have recently increased in frequency.
“We’ve been working closely with industry to develop deals to get families back to experience the best of their backyard, as well as offering experiences to attract families from outside the region to explore a new destination. We’ve also developed a comprehensive list of the tourism and hospitality businesses that are open for business and good to go with their COVID safe plans in place.
“Importantly, the campaign aims to support 7,000 direct jobs within Townsville North Queensland that rely on the tourism and hospitality industry, bringing much-needed confidence back to these businesses.”
For more information on campaign deals and offers visit townsvillenorthqueensland.com.au.
