Townsville recovery campaign sells out in three days

• ‘Mates Rates’ campaign has sold out in three days.
• The campaign offered 50 per cent off Townsville tourism experiences to help support recovery post-Cyclone Kirrily.

A tourism campaign launched for Townsville on Friday has already sold out due to high demand.

The ‘Mates Rates’ campaign, which offered 50 per cent off tourism experiences, was launched to help drive visitors to Townsville tourism businesses struggling from cancellations and low forward bookings following the impacts of recent weather events.

The program is an initiative of Tourism and Events Queensland and Townsville Enterprise Limited and is one of several marketing activities underway to drive visitors to the region.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Resources and Critical Minerals and Member for Townsville, Scott Stewart:

“Thank you to Townsville people for supporting local businesses with such enthusiasm, a fast sell-out is an excellent outcome for businesses across the region.

“With several severe weather events hitting North Queensland recently, we heard from local businesses loud and clear that they needed our support to bring visitors in the immediate short term and we have acted on that swiftly.

“It is great that we’ve been able to set up a flow of visitors for the region to help businesses through to the next school holiday period and beyond.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Mundingburra, Les Walker:

“A sell out this quickly is heart-warming to see for our local businesses who are doing it tough.

“But it’s also been a great chance for locals to grab excellent deals on local holidays, giving them a chance to take a break on a budget during this cost-of-living crisis.

“It’s wonderful to see such quick and solid support for our region and tourism industry when we’ve really needed it.”

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Tourism, Michael Healy:

“We heard clearly how hard North Queensland’s tourism businesses are doing it right now with visitors apprehensive to book due to the uncertain weather, so we called on locals and they’ve more than answered the call.

“We’ve responded very quickly to provide support and help businesses attract visitors as they go through this tough time.

“The strong demand for Townsville experiences through the Mates Rates campaign is a win for both businesses as well as locals.”

Quotes attributable to Chief Executive Officer, Tourism and Events Queensland, Patricia O’Callaghan:

“Mates Rates has been a great opportunity for Townsvillians to grab a great deal to get out and explore their own backyard while also supporting local businesses.

“It’s awesome to see how much demand there has been and really good for businesses to have those visitors locked in over the coming weeks and months to support cash-flow during some hard times.

“With several other marketing activities still underway for Townsville, as well as some exciting events coming up and Easter really just around the corner, we hope to see confidence building across the local tourism industry.

“Locals who missed out can still go to Queensland.com and grab one of the more than 500 ‘Unmissable Deals’ available right around the state, with great airfares still available for another 24 hours through Virgin Australia and TEQ’s sale.”

Quotes attributable to Chief Executive Officer, Townsville Enterprise, Claudia Brumme-Smith:

“Absolutely thrilled with being able to sell out this campaign offer in just under 72 hours, with thousands of mates supporting their tourism mates in North Queensland.

“Whilst we were hoping to see this kind of result, we were blown away at the mateship shown through this campaign.

“Campaigns such as this go to show that when we advocate with our business community for practical solutions, we know we can be successful as a region.

“We thank the state government and our local members for their support of this region.

“We know our community will continue support local, and this has never been more important as we gear up for one of the biggest years of events this region has ever seen. There is no better staycation than in North Queensland.”

Quotes attributable to owner/operator Pilgrim Magnetic Island, Clare Ley:

“After enduring weeks with only one or two bookings per week, the Mates Rates Campaign has given us a much-needed boost.

“Within just three days, we've experienced daily booking rates that in recent times have taken a fortnight to materialise.

“These bookings are giving confidence to our crew, showing a resurgence in business and ensuring more hours for them.

“Additionally, these bookings provide us with a solid foundation, ensuring minimum numbers are met and keeping operations running smoothly.

“All in all, this campaign has come just at the right time as it’s certainly been a tough few months of low bookings and high cancellations.”

ENDS