Queensland Tourism’s bold bid to steal visitors from southern states

The gloves are off in tourism’s fight for recovery with Queensland launching an audacious bid to steal holiday-makers away from southern states. Here’s how the Sunshine State plans to do it.

Queensland Tourism is launching a daring raid on southern states to bring working holiday-makers north as the gloves come off in the industry’s fight for recovery.

Tourism and Events Queensland has partnered with Greyhound buses and travel company Travello in a bold bid to pinch backpackers from NSW and Victoria to help fill thousands of job vacancies in Queensland.

Greyhound buses plastered with spectacular images of our tourism icons will travel up and down the east coast while TEQ will launch a social media blitz aimed at convincing backpackers to ditch their stays in Sydney or Melbourne in favour of a working holiday in the Sunshine State.

More than a dozen Greyhound buses plastered with iconic images of Queensland tourism will travel the east coast to bring working holiday-makers to the Sunshine State. Picture: supplied

Backpackers will be able to buy a reduced price 30-day bus pass to take them to Queensland, while they will also be offered free Travello vouchers worth hundreds of dollars for tourism experiences across the state.

The audacious campaign is a sign of just how competitive the tourism industry will become as the sector tries to rebound from the carnage of the coronavirus pandemic.

Launching the Working Holidayer campaign at Bondi Beach, Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said it would persuade backpackers to leave the frigid winters of southern states for the experience of a lifetime in Queensland.

Assistant Tourism Minister Michael Healy and Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe at Bondi Beach for the launch of a new campaign to bring working holiday-makers to Queensland. Picture: supplied

“In Queensland, the home of Australia’s endless summer, there are hundreds of tourism businesses hiring in world-class holiday destinations,” he said.

“If you can see yourself as a Great Barrier Reef deckhand, a dinosaur tour guide in the Outback or a barista on a tropical island, Queensland is the place to be this winter.

“Working Holidayer is a terrific opportunity to live, work and stay warm in a Queensland holiday destination.”

Backpackers have long been pivotal in filling many jobs in the Queensland tourism, farming and hospitality sectors and those industries were among the hardest hit during the pandemic with struggles for staff continuing.

However, with travel restrictions easing, tens of thousands of people from abroad have applied for working holiday visas Down Under.

Greyhound Australia CEO Dan Smith said it was exciting to be part of the campaign.

“Greyhound has been bringing working holiday-makers to Queensland for over 90 years, so the team jumped at the chance to deliver spectacular reefs, sandy beaches, lush green rainforest, vast Outback spaces, magical night skies and quaint regional towns, along with thousands of hidden gems,” he said.

Travello CEO Ryan Hanly said the campaign was a perfect chance to support Queensland tourism.

“Queensland is the best place to spend winter in Australia, so this is an amazing chance for working holiday makers to take advantage of the warm weather and amazing experiences Queensland has to offer because let’s be honest, where else would you rather work?” he said.

Originally published as Queensland Tourism’s bold bid to steal visitors from southern states