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A programme on destination showcase for Queensland and Melbourne was held recently at Le Meridien, New Delhi. In an exclusively B2B engagement, tour operators from the respective destinations met travel agents in the capital to provide them more information on their products, thus aiding them in upgrading their packages for a tour to Australia.
The event was part of the Indian Travel Mission of the destinations with around 17 operators from Victoria and around 14 from Queensland.
Celia Ho, Regional Manager- South and South East Asia, Tourism Victoria, said, “This is one of the largest participations for the Australian suppliers from India. This was organised for the tour operators to meet the travel agents in New Delhi to help them in terms of their product development, to look at what else they can include in their Australia programme and for the frontline staff to have more information about the destination.”
Elaborating on the tourist attractions in the destination, she added, “Our target segments are the honeymooners, the young generation and the family. Victoria is a very popular self-drive destination. We are trying to expand the experiences including eco-boat adventure, chocolate factory, Wildlife Park and many more.”
Tour operators from Melbourne showcased unique products like that of Melbourne Cricket Club, promoting cricket tours under two products- MCG and National Sports Museum. Phillip Island was another highlight among the attractions showcased.
“The response at the show has been sensational. In India, it is all about personal relationships. This has been very productive and effective for our business,” expressed Brendan Sanders, Tourism Marketing Executive, Melbourne Cricket Club.
Queensland, on the other hand, is also picking up as a self-drive destination. “We have a new driving, touring map of Queensland. We are trying to promote Queensland too as a self drive destination. We are also looking at the luxury segment which has a lot of potential in India. Besides, the corporate MICE segment is also very important for us,” informed Lim Mui Khim, International Director, South and South East Asia, Tourism and Events Queensland.
Another important destination that marked an important presence at the event was Gold Coast. Seeking to revamp their entire marketing strategy, Gold Coast Tourism Corporation was present with their latest and best products.
“Gold Coast has been known predominantly as the theme park capital of Australia. There are over 150 activities that you can do pre and post the theme park experience in Gold Coast at a very reasonable price. We are trying to sell the destination in a different way for increased number of nights to propagate the message that there is much more to do in Gold Coast than just theme parks,” highlighted Ashish Bhandari, Business Development Manager- India, Gold Coast Tourism Corporation.
Aparna Anand, Sales and Marketing Manager- India, Gold Coast Tour Alliance India, explained, “Gold Coast Tour Alliance India is the top five products on the Gold Coast. They have formed an alliance for the Indian market as the country is one of the largest growing markets for them right now. We are looking at individually targeting cities and also make our outreach to the smaller cities.”
Source: travelnewsdigest.in
