New campaign to lure interstate tourists to outback Queensland

A new tourism campaign encouraging travellers to discover the Queensland outback has today been launched by the Palaszczuk Government.

The campaign, being rolled out by Tourism and Events Queensland in partnership with the Department of State Development, Sunlover Holidays, QantasLink and the Outback Queensland Tourism Association, aims to attract interstate visitors looking for an ‘adventure and discovery experience of a lifetime’.

Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said now was the perfect time to take an Outback holiday.

“From exploring landscapes where ancient dinosaurs once roamed to discovering the mysteries of the cosmos or the history of our pioneering past, outback Queensland boasts a number of experiences visitors can’t get anywhere else,” Ms Jones said.

“Tourism is a growing part of the outback’s economy, with 875,000 domestic visitors spending $617 million in the region in the year to March 2018 – that’s 11 per cent growth over the last three years.

“We’re committed to building on that momentum to lure even more visitors to the outback in coming years.

“That’s why we’re investing heavily in this campaign to show tourists what the outback has to offer.”

Ms Jones said the government had invested more than $70 million in infrastructure to grow tourism in outback Queensland.

“This includes the recently re-opened Waltzing Matilda Centre, Qantas Founders Museum, Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and the Charleville Cosmos Centre Planetarium,” she said.

“We’re also investing millions of dollars in sealing roads to improve access to tourism attractions in the outback.”

Outback Queensland Tourism Association General Manager Peter Homan said the timing of this campaign couldn’t be better.

“With the drought sweeping Outback Queensland and small businesses suffering, we hope to see an influx of visitors who will see tourism is still alive and well, while also injecting some much-needed funds into our towns,” Mr Homan said.

“We’ve had more new tourism attractions open in the last six months than many other parts of the State. If you’ve seen the Outback once, get ready for a whole new experience.

“We hope the discounted flight and ground travel that form part of this campaign encourage visitors to make Outback Queensland a destination they’ll visit today, rather than ‘maybe one day’.”

Cinzia Burnes, Executive Director of Helloworld Travel Limited, proud owner and operator of Sunlover Holidays said the campaign would bring more visitors to the Outback.

“Sunlover Holidays are the Queensland specialists, recently celebrating 35 years of award-winning product and service in the region.

“We know Outback Queensland offers a truly unique experience and we are thrilled to be encouraging more and more visitors through this campaign.”

QantasLink Chief Operating Officer Jenny Chamberlain said the Outback Queensland travel packages were a great way to encourage visitors to discover more of regional Australia. 

“These packages are great value for customers and will put more of Australia’s less-travelled regional destinations on the map,” Ms Chamberlain said.

The Qantas Group is a strong supporter of regional Australia and recently announced a $3 million commitment to help provide relief to drought affected farming communities.

Sunlover Holiday packages being advertised include QantasLink flights and accommodation for travel from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to Longreach, Mount Isa, Roma and Charleville.

To grab an Outback Queensland holiday deal, visit https://www.sunloverholidays.com.au/queensland/

Sale ends 17 September 2018.

Examples of Sunlover’s Outback Queensland holiday packages include:

• Return flights from Brisbane to Roma and three nights’ accommodation from $615.
• Return flights from Sydney to Longreach and three nights’ accommodation from $835.
• Return flights from Melbourne to Charleville and three nights’ accommodation from $949.
• Return flights from Brisbane to Mount Isa and 3 nights’ accommodation from $654.

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Media contact: 0419 620 447