Grant targets tech-savvy twitchers to Queensland
Posted by editor (editor) on Aug 12 2010
2010 >>

Tropical Tablelands Tourism will lead a $90,500 grant project aimed at attracting more ‘twitchers’ to the state’s prime birdwatching locations, Minister for Tourism Peter Lawlor said.

Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism and Member for Barron River Steve Wettenhall said the grant would be used to come up with a range of marketing tools to attract ‘twitchers’ here including a specially designed phone application.

Mr Wettenhall said the funding was part of the Queensland Tourism Network Grant Scheme, administered by Tourism Queensland, and would be used by Atherton Tablelands Promotion Bureau to work with more than a dozen other groups, including regional tourism organisations, councils, state government departments and operators from the Tropical North to Fraser Island and the Gold Coast Hinterland, to develop a birdwatching marketing plan.

“Queensland has more than 630 bird species in some of the world’s most beautiful natural environments, from our rainforests to coastal areas and wetlands,” Mr Wettenhall said.

“Birdwatchers, or twitchers as they are colloquially known, are a lucrative specialist market and will travel from all over the country and the world to pursue their passion.

“This project will bring together a range of tourism groups, government departments and tourism operators to develop a marketing plan to target birdwatchers, including a new phone application, expanded website, collateral and attendance at trade shows,” he said.

“By working together these groups will be able to extend their marketing reach and hopefully attract more twitchers to Queensland.”

Minister for Tourism Peter Lawlor said the Queensland Tourism Network Grant Scheme application process was announced in February this year with funding available to a range of not-for-profit tourism groups including regional and local tourism organisations, local government tourism departments and divisions, and tourism associations that were members of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council.

“The grants fell under two categories - funding for projects to enable tourism organisations to streamline their current operations – for example by merging with other tourism bodies; and for organisations to collaborate on new tourism marketing or product development initiatives that aren’t already part of their core operations,” he said.

Mr Lawlor said the Queensland Tourism Network Grant Scheme would allocate $3 million over the next three years as part of a commitment to help the state’s tourism organisations develop a stronger and more cohesive network.

“The aim of the grant scheme was to encourage tourism organisations to think outside their ‘business as usual’ squares,” he said.

“We wanted them to come to us with proposals that would help them build a stronger and more efficient tourism network in Queensland,” he said.

“The calibre of grant submissions was extremely high and I congratulate Tropical Tablelands Tourism and its partners on the success of their application.”

The grants are a result of the 2008 State Government review of Queensland’s tourism network which resulted in a series of reforms which included encouraging tourism organisations to collaborate in order to create a more efficient and streamlined industry.

Further information:
Steve Wettenhall: 0412 184 155
Minister’s office – 3225 1005
Tourism Queensland – 3535 5010

Last changed: Aug 12 2010 at 10:48 AM