Auctions campaign was a huge success, with all items selling unbelievably well—so well, in fact, that
60,000 people visited the website in the first five days, nearly triple the number the previous year.
Bidding for the eBay style auctions of Queensland holiday packages and accommodation started at just
$1 and were so popular that participating operators provided additional items for the auction. Tourism
Queensland will now hold another auction later in the year to capitalise on the success of this campaign.
The products on offer were from right across Queensland, which ensured that operators throughout the state received the maximum benefit from this unique initiative. As well as some great
holiday destinations such as Fraser Island and Port Douglas, this year people could bid for the chance
to keep a koala for a day or fly a Boeing 737 flight simulator.
The campaign’s success also helped drive visitation to other current campaigns on
queenslandholidays.com.au, such as the recently launched Unreal Deals, which has also been
registering strong sales since it went live a couple of weeks ago. Overall, Queensland sales for Sunlover
Holidays are up by 52.5 per cent for the first four days of the Unreal Deals campaign period compared
with sales for the same time last year. The $1 million campaign aims to lure budget-sensitive Australians
to the state with some unreal deals.
There is no better time to holiday in Queensland than now. These results are fantastic for the
Queensland tourism industry during these current tough economic times. Tourism is one of
Queensland’s biggest economic contributors. The Bligh government is meeting its commitments to
support the industry through these tough times by protecting jobs through highly targeted tourism
campaigns. Domestic overnight visitors support 84,500 Queensland jobs. That is why this government
has increased its investment in that particular sector of the market.
The Bligh government went to the last election committing an extra $36 million to Queensland
tourism. The opposition promised a funding cut. Effectively that is what those opposite are offering. All
we get from the opposition is press releases and no policy.
In relation to the $20,000-a-head dinner that was put on by the former leader of the opposition
before the election, I would like to know just how much alcohol $20,000 buys and, indeed, whether that
alcohol was served responsibly. If those opposite will not tell us who was there, maybe we should check
with the organiser, Terry Peabody, to find out who was there and I can then ask them whether
responsible service of alcohol was observed at that function.
