Tourism Australia has joined forces with Australia’s largest regional accommodation provider, the G’DAY Group, in half a million dollar domestic self-drive campaign to help revive regional tourism.
With the strapline of ‘Here is where the heart is’, the campaign is an iteration of Tourism Australia’s ‘Holiday here this year’ campaign.
The campaign calls on Australians to re-visit destinations that have their heart and find new connections with people and places across Australia.
For every $1 spent on regional accommodation, nearly $2 is generated within wider regional communities, which means that a rise in regional road trip holidays will provide much-needed support for Australia’s tourism industry.
Image: Tourism Australia
The G’DAY Group is the largest network of holiday parks in Australia, with over 280 properties under both the Top Parks and Discovery Holiday Parks brands.
G’DAY Group Chief Executive, Grant Wilckens, said that while the industry has been hurting, campaigns like this provide an opportunity to deliver a silver lining for operators.
“For quite a few of our properties, including those owned by regional locals, the majority of the year’s revenue is earnt in January,” he said.
“With parts of Australia impacted by bushfires, floods and cyclones – and now the coronavirus – the impact to revenue, infrastructure and our people has been immense.”
G’DAY Group Chief Executive, Grant Wilckens
Credit: Destination NSW
“Never before has there been such a spotlight on visiting our regions, and there is a real opportunity to see ‘road trips with heart’ become a travel trend for 2020, strengthening our regional communities beyond our expectations.”
Research shows that post-disaster, people are 4-5x more likely to travel back to a destination that they already have an affinity with.
“We think that the emotive call to action of this campaign will resonate with our existing customer base, and encourage those who might ordinarily jet off to Bali or Europe to instead consider a glamping experience at Byron Bay, a camping road trip to Kangaroo Island or a peaceful cabin holiday at Pambula Beach,” said Grant.
Tourism Australia Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison welcomed the support of the G’DAY Group, as the first commercial partner to be signed up to the Holiday Here This Year domestic tourism campaign.
“As largest accommodation provider in regional Australia and with the caravan and camping sector becoming ever more popular for travellers, the G’DAY Group is a fantastic partner to be working with as we look to encourage more Australians to holiday in Australia this year.”
The campaign is digitally-led, with some outdoor components. It will run until 30 June 2020 and will promote travel over the Easter school holiday period targeting families, and over the northern summer targeting nomads.