Holiday at home to boost tourism industry

Bundaberg Tourism has launched the first of the destination’s tourism restart campaigns, aimed at inviting locals to holiday at home to help get the local economy back on its feet.

Katherine Reid, CEO of Bundaberg Tourism, said the region’s residents lived in the best place to holiday.

“We live in a bucket-list destination – we’re the southern-most access point to the Great Barrier Reef, we are known world-wide for our iconic rum and brewed drinks, and we are the home to the Mon Repos Turtle Encounter,” Katherine said.

“In 2019, 1.7 million people travelled to Bundaberg for a holiday, and our local tourist and hospitality industries are one of the main economic drivers for our community because of this.

“Our lives have been so busy prior to Coronavirus, and many of our residents haven’t really had the chance to get out and enjoy our incredible backyard properly.

“So we’re calling all locals to put our backyard on your bucket list, to invite your friends and relatives to come and explore the Bundaberg Region and to support our local businesses by spending our money right here.”

She said local businesses were working hard to make a holiday at home possible.

“Bundaberg’s tourism operators are working hard to put in place their COVID-Safe plans and reopen over the next few months.

“Many people are planning to travel within government limits over the upcoming school holidays and we need our community to start inviting their friends and family within a 250km radius of Bundaberg to come and see our patch of paradise from 12 June.

“It’s time to take the Distillery Tour at Bundaberg Rum Visitor Experience, which was named as Australia’s top Tourism Distillery, Winery and Brewery experience at the Australian Tourism Awards for the past two years, or taste all the flavours at The Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Barrel.

“Take your guests to swim with turtles and mantas on the reef – we have day trips to eco-award winning Lady Elliot Island and Lady Musgrave Island departing daily from Bundaberg, and whale watching will start in July.

“Eat in our award winning restaurants, like The Windmill Café, who were awarded Queensland’s top Tourism Restaurant in 2019, or Water St Kitchen, HSG At The Gardens or H2O, or create your own dishes with food from our local farm gates and markets.

“Get away from your own house for a weekend, or book your in-laws into one of our fantastic accommodation houses – watch the sunrise over the ocean, or the sun set over the Burnett River.

“And if being away from it all is more of your calling, pack up and explore the many national parks and wide open spaces of the region – we are blessed with natural wonders like Kinkuna and Woodgate Beach, the hinterlands of Childers and Gin Gin, and the impressive Mt Walsh and Cania Gorge to conquer to our west.

“We know people will want to leave town to visit their friends and relatives as restrictions ease, but we urge you – invite them back to Bundaberg. Queenslanders support Queenslanders!”

For inspiration on your holiday at home, visit www.bundabergregion.org where all of the region’s top attractions, tours and accommodation are listed, and a regular blog series covers a wide variety of experiences to inspire your next trip in region.

To show your Bundaberg pride and see regular updates on which tourism operators are open, like the destination Facebook and Instagram accounts @VisitBundaberg, and share your adventures on social media with #visitbundaberg and #tastebundaberg. 

Social media images for the campaign can be downloaded online and Facebook frames are also available by searching Bundaberg.

Bundaberg Tourism is working with the local and state tourism industry and Tourism and Events Queensland on further campaigns to drive visitation from around Queensland and Australia, with details to be released soon.

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