Best Job candidates explore the Gold Coast
Posted by editor (editor) on May 07 2009
2009 >>

Two of the finalist for Tourism Queensland's Best Job in the World recruitment campaign will explore the Gold Coast over the next few days, Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor announced today.

“Mieko Kobayashi from Japan and Yi Yao from China will visit Surfers Paradise, Main Beach, Northcliffe, Burleigh Heads, Dreamworld, WhiteWater World, Sea World, Warner Brothers Movie World, the Australian Outback Spectacular and O’Reilly’s Plateau ,” Mr Lawlor said.

“During their trip they will learn to surf, explore a range of theme parks, swim with dolphins, bush walk, go jet boating and take a motorcycle tour or the hinterlands.

“Both Mieko and Yi will stay overnight in a variety of hotels throughout the regions, experiencing the breadth and quality of local accommodation options.

“The tour is organised in partnership between Tourism Queensland, Gold Coast Tourism and with the support of local operators.”

“Tourism Queensland’s Best Job in the World campaign has been a stellar success for the Queensland tourism industry in terms of exposure and interest,” Gold Coast Tourism CEO Mr Martin Winter said.

“The Gold Coast is lucky to take advantage of the ongoing activities with two of the finalist coming here.”

Mr Lawlor said the two finalists had had a challenging few weeks, culminating in an intensive three-day interview process at Hamilton Island and narrowly missing out on the island caretaker position, which yesterday went to Ben Southall from Britain.

“These candidates absolutely wowed us and have ensured Queensland was at the forefront of media in their respective countries during the campaign, all while holding down full-time jobs and family commitments,” Mr Lawlor said.

“With more than 34,000 applications, the Caretaker of Islands of the Great Barrier Reef was arguably the most sought-after job in the world.

"The worldwide response to Best Job in the World campaign was nothing short of phenomenal and achieved more than $100 million worth of global publicity for Queensland.

“International tourism is a key economic driver for Queensland and during challenging economic times, activities such as the Best Job in the World campaign are crucial to increase the visibility and presence of Queensland destinations and products in international markets.

“We are committed to generating interest from international markets and will do everything possible to maximise the benefits for Queensland.”

ENDS

Further information
Media enquiries
Minister’s Office – 07 3225 1005
Tourism Queensland – 07 3535 5588

Last changed: Oct 06 2009 at 2:30 PM