Brisbane family set to win Sunshine Exchange to China
Posted by editor (editor) on Jul 22 2010
2010 >>

PoPo the panda and KoKo the koala will become online heroes in Tourism Queensland’s new “Sunshine Exchange” campaign – an online game that will give a Brisbane family the opportunity to visit Expo “sister city” Shanghai as Honorary Tourism Ambassadors.

Queensland Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor launched the campaign in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall today to coincide with Queensland Week celebrations at the Shanghai World Expo.

The online competition provides the opportunity for a Brisbane family to visit Shanghai for a five-day Queensland Tourism Ambassador “family exchange”, where they will visit the Shanghai World Expo, meet the locals and tell them about life in Queensland.

“Shanghai and Brisbane share a special bond and China is one of Queensland’s fastest growing tourism markets so this will offer a fantastic opportunity for a Brisbane family to travel to Shanghai, meet the locals, tell them about Queensland and invite them to visit,” Mr Lawlor said.

“Tourism Queensland’s China office will be running a simultaneous campaign that will offer a Chinese family the opportunity to visit the Brisbane region.

“The two families will be able to meet up in their respective countries to impart a bit of ‘insider knowledge’ on the best things to see and do.”

Mr Lawlor said the campaign aimed to draw on the two cities’ close ties, having enjoyed a special bond under the Queensland-Shanghai Sister State Agreement over the past 21 years.

Game players can choose their mascot – either PoPo the panda or KoKo the koala and make them fly through a range of Brisbane scenes, collecting Brisbane experience tokens along the way.

The winning Chinese family will receive five days in Queensland, visiting the Brisbane region’s top attractions, meeting the locals and experiencing Queensland culture while the winning Brisbane family will get to visit the Australian Pavilion in Shanghai, meet Chinese locals and experience the culture.

“They may also get to visit the Chinese family’s workplace or school to tell them what they love about Queensland,” Mr Lawlor said.

“In this way they will become honorary tourism ambassadors for our state.”

Mr Lawlor said when the Chinese family visited Queensland they would be accompanied by select Chinese media who would report on their adventures in Queensland.

“The Chinese love technology and are highly competitive so an online game such as this gives them a fun glimpse of Queensland that will hopefully spark the desire for them to visit,” he said.

In the year to March, 153,000 Chinese visiting the state a nine percent increase on the year before.

Chinese visitors also spent $326 million in Queensland in the year to March, $87 million more than during the previous period.

“Brisbane is growing in popularity for Chinese travellers, with 62,000 visiting the city in the year to March, 19 percent up on last year,” Mr Lawlor said.

“Last month the Queensland Premier Anna Bligh announced that Chinese visitors will soon be able to bypass the southern states and fly direct to Queensland thanks to a deal brokered by Tourism Queensland, Brisbane Airport Corporation and China Southern Airlines.

“I also welcome the Federal Government’s announcement yesterday of a $30 million tourism boost to go towards marketing Australia to the Chinese market and that a high level forum on the topic would be held in Cairns later in the year.”

To play the game visit www.queenslandholidays.com.au/sunshinexchange

Last changed: Jul 22 2010 at 11:06 AM