Queensland visitor experiences showcased in Japan

Queensland’s unique visitor experiences are being showcased in Japan this week as part of a Tourism and Events Queensland travel mission.

A record 28 Queensland tourism businesses have embarked on the ‘Queensland on Tour’ mission to Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo to meet with 300 Japanese travel agents as well as retail and sales staff.

Tourism and Events Queensland Chief Executive Officer Leanne Coddington said ‘Queensland on Tour Japan’ was an annual tourism mission conducted in partnership with Queensland’s regional tourism organisations which aimed to increase awareness of Queensland in the key international market.

“Our research shows travel from Asian markets is growing, with Japan identified as a priority market for Queensland due to its high visitor expenditure and strong visitor numbers,” Ms Coddington said.

“In the year ending March 2018, Queensland welcomed 203,000 Japanese visitors who spent $397.5 million, making it our third most valuable international market.

“TEQ’s aim is to assist Queensland’s tourism industry to raise its profile and grow our share of Japanese visitation – travel agents and other in-market trade partners are crucial to achieving this.

“Missions like ‘Queensland on Tour Japan’ help facilitate face-to-face meetings, training sessions and networking opportunities between Queensland tourism operators and Japanese travel agents who are crucial in influencing the future travel decisions of their Japanese customers.

“This yearly event is popular in the industry and this year was no exception, with the delegation expanding from the original 20 available spots to cater for 28 businesses who wanted to take part, making it the biggest tourism mission to Japan led by TEQ.

“It’s wonderful to see the commitment from industry as we work together to make Queensland the leading Australian destination for Asian travellers, in line with our Asia tourism strategy.”

As part of the visit, chef and owner of Cairns’ Ochre Restaurant Craig Squire will host a ‘Taste Queensland’ dinner with the tourism delegation in Tokyo, giving 30 Japanese travel trade representatives and media a chance to taste some of Queensland’s best produce.

Mr Squire will also feature as a guest chef at Prince Hotel Group’s popular annual Australia Food & Wine Fair 2018 in Tokyo next week as part of a collaborative dinner showcasing Queensland produce.

The Queensland tourism businesses taking part in the mission include:

View the Queensland Asia Tourism Strategy 2016-2025