German travel scouts get the scoop on Queensland experiences
Posted by editor (editor) on Sep 29 2009
2009 >>

Two German travel agents will undertake the roadtrip of a lifetime this week as they explore the Queensland coast by campervan and blog about their adventures.

Queensland Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor said German travel agents Torsten Hoeber and Dirk Borowski were in Queensland after winning the Australia Scout travel industry competition, run by Tourism Australia, Tourism Queensland, Tourism New South Wales, Qantas and Britz.

The competition aims to use the German travel agents’ first hand experience to build a greater awareness of Australia as a travel destination in the German market.

“Torsten and Dirk will have the opportunity to visit iconic Queensland destinations such as Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Coast and the Whitsundays,” Mr Lawlor said.

“They will be blogging about their experiences including a whale watching cruise at Hervey Bay and kayaking, sailing, scuba diving and snorkelling.”

Mr Lawlor said the Australia Scout tour was a great way to further capitalise on the awareness generated in Germany from the Best Job in the World campaign and the recent appointment of three of the Top 16 candidates as Queensland tourism ambassadors in Europe, including German candidate Mirjam Novak.

“Visitors from the UK love our natural environment, beach lifestyle and often engage in adventure activities and this visit allows the travel industry to get a first-hand taste of the fantastic Queensland holiday experience and then report back and recommend it to German travellers.

“The aim is to keep Queensland destinations and experiences top-of-mind amongst Europeans as they head into winter and are looking for a warm holiday escape.

“The latest International Visitor Survey for the year ending June 2009 reported strong growth in visitor numbers out of Continental Europe, with visitors from Germany increasing by eight percent last financial year to 80,000.

“More than 250,000 visitors from the UK headed to Queensland in the year ending June 2009, contributing approximately $476 million to the Queensland economy.

“This visit highlights an opportunity for Torsten and Dirk to promote their experiences internationally and keep Queensland top-of-mind as their fellow Germans head into winter.

“Our aim is to increase the visibility and presence of Queensland destinations and experiences in the European market and the Australia Scout tour is the perfect opportunity for us to generate some interest from German travellers.”

Last changed: Oct 06 2009 at 4:36 PM