South East Queensland Country connects the holidaymaker dots
Posted by editor (editor) on Jun 10 2010
2010 >>

New research about South East Queensland’s Country’s as a tourist destination has identified what makes certain holidaymakers tick, Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor said today.

Mr Lawlor said the research from Tourism Research Australia and Tourism Queensland defined what drives visitors in the ‘Connector’ market to visit South East Queensland Country.

“Connectors are visitors who enjoy taking holidays to connect with the people they care most about and, in Queensland, they tend to drive to a holiday destination within a 400 kilometre radius of their home,” Mr Lawlor said.

“Tourism Queensland has identified six domestic holiday markets and the Connectors market is regarded as ideal to encourage Queenslanders to holiday in Queensland.”

“The Connectors research focussed on Queensland regions such as South East Queensland Country where intrastate visitors were a key source market.”

Member for Toowoomba North Kerry Shine said South East Queensland Country is an important tourist destination.

“In 2009, 1.86 million Queenslanders visited South East Queensland Country,” he said.

“The research found that Connectors thought there were activities and attractions available for them in South East Queensland Country that would meet their ideal holiday needs.

“These included rainforests, waterfalls, gorges, shopping, markets, general sightseeing and taking daytrips to neighbouring destinations.

“Connectors also associated South East Queensland Country with escaping the crowds, getting there easily, natural attractions such as national parks, rivers and lakes and sampling locally grown produce.

“They also saw the region as a destination where they could relax, unwind, have new experiences, discover nature and explore the countryside.

“South East Queensland Country was also seen as an attractive option for couples.

“The region is well placed to promote itself as a place for fun and new experiences,” he said.

“Other activities and attractions that Connectors like and strongly associate with the region include festivals, cultural events, hiking, bushwalking and wineries.

The research involved 18 Connector focus groups across Queensland, followed by an online survey with more than 1500 Queensland Connectors.

Tourism Queensland CEO Anthony Hayes said the research provided great insights to South East Queensland Country about where it sat with the Connectors market.

“This research provides a valuable snapshot of South East Queensland Country’s attributes, attractions and services,” Mr Hayes said.

“This kind of information assists with marketing because it helps determine what kind of tourism campaigns should be pursued in an effort to attract more visitors.

“Insights from the research can also help local tourism businesses make decisions about how best to target the Connectors’ market in the future.

“Local tourism organisations can also seek help for new tourism marketing or product development initiatives targeting Connectors by applying for funds from the Queensland Tourism Network Grant Scheme.”

Mr Hayes said the Connectors research and grant scheme guidelines, with applications for new marketing and/or product development projects closing on 7 May 2010, were available on the Tourism Queensland website at www.tq.com.au.

Last changed: Jun 10 2010 at 2:41 PM