Destination Gold Coast pulls out all the stops to aid recovery
Popular Gold Coast tourist destinations and accommodations have suffered more than most this year but with restrictions easing and new Destination Gold Coast marketing campaigns both local and nationwide, alongside industry partnerships things are on the up...
The Gold Coast is more than ready to welcome holidaymakers back and look forward to the economic boost that will bring.
Destination Gold Coast Chairman, Paul Donovan told accomnews that improvements have already been noted. He said: “Anecdotally, the September school holidays saw a spike in foot traffic to the Gold Coast and we are hopeful that visitation continues to grow as we dial-up our marketing presence interstate.”
This month Destination Gold Coast launched its first-ever $1 million local area marketing campaign, ‘Play Money for Gold Coasters’ in partnership with prominent booking platform Experience Oz.
Mr Donovan said: “We saw Gold Coasters waste no time in snapping up discounted experiences to act as backyard tourists, and the allotted 10,000 digital promocodes sold out within 35 hours of being released.
“The local initiative highlighted Gold Coast’s strong community appetite to stimulate bookings for ailing attractions and operators hardest hit as a result of COVID-19 setbacks and border closures.
“Destination Gold Coast is now set to launch a multi-million dollar tourism push ahead of summer to leverage proposed border reopenings and drive visitation from key domestic markets.
“Marketing activity will focus on converting demand and inspiration to offer a much-needed boost for Gold Coast tourism.”
Alongside the local campaign all Aussies are being urged to visit the gold Coast with the launch of the largest ever tourism push the ‘Come Back and Play’ campaign.
This $3.5 million promotion is the second iteration of Destination Gold Coast’s (DGC) Come Back and Play campaign which first launched in June – asking Queenslanders to explore their own backyard – aims to further springboard economic recovery.
Mr Donovan said that the campaign will look to inspire Aussies to turn their holiday dreams into reality as businesses and operators eagerly await the reopening of Queensland’s border slated for November.
He said: “Come Back and Play represents the largest multimillion-dollar investment in the domestic market to entice high-spending travellers to indulge in a well-deserved holiday in Australia’s favourite playground.
“As restrictions are further relaxed and travel confidence continues to grow, we are investing responsibly in markets that we can dial-up or down to ensure maximum benefit for every tourism dollar spent.
“The addition of interstate holidaymakers from key markets is anticipated to deliver a much-needed boost to revive Gold Coast’s $6 billion tourism economy. We know many people will be looking to reconnect with family, friends and loved ones after what has been an incredibly challenging year.
“The Gold Coast is a safe and inviting destination for Aussies looking to escape ahead of the summer holidays and with an abundance of natural and manmade experiences on offer, there is no better place to holiday than on the Gold Coast.”
The eight-week campaign will be rolled out in bursts throughout Brisbane, regional Queensland, ACT and South Australia followed by New South Wales (8 November), on free-to-air and subscription TV, radio, outdoor digital billboards, cinema placements and in digital and social media.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the Gold Coast has never been so ready to welcome visitors to the city.
He said: “I’m sure when the rest of Australia sees this campaign, they will be lining up to come and enjoy the nation’s favourite holiday destination. We are open for business and as the country continues to open up, we hope our tourism operators enjoy a bumper summer.”
Destination Gold Coast have also partnered with Accor Pacific for this extensive marketing campaign. Accor sees this as a great opportunity to showcase the breadth of accommodation options it has on the Gold Coast, in particular its Peppers, Mantra and BreakFree hotels, resorts and apartments.
Chief Executive Officer, Simon McGrath said: “We hope our range of affordable and flexible deals will inspire travellers to go on a Gold Coast holiday to remember. This campaign offers a much-needed boost for tourism businesses and operators, like ours.
“The Gold Coast is a much-loved holiday destination, and we are delighted visitors are returning. The Gold Coast should ready itself for a summer surge in tourism.”
Accor, the largest hotel operator on the Gold Coast, is offering 42 accommodation deals at 23 different Gold Coast hotels, resorts and apartments.
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