Wish you were here: Gold Coast celebs’ personal invitation
Gold Coast celebrities have joined a campaign to lure visitors once the state borders are open – and they’re taking a unique approach.
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HANDWRITTEN postcards from Gold Coast celebrities will lob in letterboxes around the country in a tourism blitz to bring visitors back to the Glitter Strip.
Football star Mat Rogers, former swimmer Giaan Rooney and entertainment personality Charli Robinson are among those who have penned postcards of their favourite Gold Coast experiences which will be sent to more than 3000 households in cities across Australia.
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It is just one of the co-ordinated tourism campaigns across Queensland being rolled out to capitalise on the easing of coronavirus restrictions and the reopening of the borders to all states bar Victoria.
Visit Sunshine Coast yesterday launched its own marketing campaign, calling on locals to act as virtual tourism ambassadors by calling friends and family across the country to talk up the region.
Postcards in the Destination Gold Coast campaign have already been sent to households in Brisbane and Sydney, while Melbournians will also receive a postcard to help inspire travel plans when Victorian restrictions are eased.
The “wish you were here” messages have been designed to generate feelings of nostalgic memories from previous holidays spent on the Gold Coast.
Hundreds of iconic tourism operators and local personalities have also taken part, sharing their favourite Gold Coast destinations and experiences.
Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista said the Tourist Strip was ready to welcome back travellers with open arms and remind families of all the reasons the city is Australia’s favourite playground.
“This pandemic has changed us as a society, and what we truly value – it’s seen a renaissance of quality family time, which is exactly why Australians choose to holiday on the Gold Coast,” she said.
“We hope that, when families find these handwritten postcards in their mailboxes, they will reminisce about their past holiday experiences and childhood memories of the Gold Coast.
“By sharing heartfelt messages from our tourism operators, we wanted to give Aussies a taste of the incredible and unique experiences, they can expect when they come back to play again.”
The Gold Coast last year drew a record 14.2 million visitors, but the COVID-19 travel ban brought the city’s $6 billion tourism juggernaut – the region’s biggest economic driver, to its knees, with the industry bleeding millions of dollars a week since hardline restrictions were
introduced in March.
