Sunny by name, sunny by nature. That’s how the region will be delivered to major tourism markets as the winter holiday season warms up.
Visit Sunshine Coast has launched burst two of its Sunshine Moments For Real campaign in New South Wales, Victoria and New Zealand.
Sunshine Moments was first launched in October 2022, and Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Matt Stoeckel said this was the biggest campaign the destination would run for the year.
“The campaign is about reminding our southern neighbours what’s so special about a trip to the Sunshine Coast ahead of our quieter times over winter,” he said.
“For those living down south, a trip to the Sunshine Coast over winter is a bit of a no-brainer – where our water temperatures remain higher than what they do in Melbourne’s summer.”
Newport Mooloolaba Apartments manager Ben Sullivan said the campaign was designed to help fill vacancies over the coming winter months.
“Campaigns like this not only can do wonders to promoting the Sunshine Coast brand and destination but also drive bookings to our business to put heads on beds,” Mr Sullivan said.
The campaign will run in the lead-up to Air New Zealand recommencing direct seasonal services between Auckland and the Sunshine Coast from June 25 to October 15.
It also aligns with Australia’s newest airline Bonza opening up new routes between the Sunshine Coast and regional New South Wales and Victoria.
Sunshine Moments For Real will run to the end of June and will see accommodation providers and tourist operators offering a raft of incentives and deals.
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The campaign comes after VSC recently began a new turbocharged training program called SHINE.
Launched with Olympic champion Duncan Armstrong and attended by more than 100 tourism businesses, it offers a tailored approach to training.
In its largest tourism program ever, VSC will work with operators to enhance the experiences delivered to the region’s visitors.
SHINE will prepare tourism businesses to understand customer needs and service and become digital savvy in delivering online experiences, as well as improving social media, internet bookings and branding, and understanding latest travel trends.
Head of industry and trade development Andrew Fairbairn said VSC wanted to build on Sunshine Coast tourism assets and support businesses to deliver the goods and shine.
“We know the world of travel has changed dramatically over the past three years, requiring a dynamic new approach to delivering experiences,” he said.
“Travellers want encounters that engage, inspire and re-energise them. We call these experiences ‘Sunshine Moments’ and through them, we can shine as a destination.
“SHINE sets us on a pathway to deliver Sunshine Moments to our visitors and get ready to shine on a global stage at the Olympics.”
The program is based on a model developed by Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) that has been customised for the Sunshine Coast.
Amaze World owner Adam Cheshire said the SHINE program offered a new approach to tourism training to remain competitive and deliver the best experience for visitors.
“The Visit Sunshine Coast SHINE program will allow us to take our customer service up a notch, better understand the latest travel trends, become more digital savvy and develop branding strategies for our business,” he said.
“We completed the TEQ program and really resonated with the structure and loved the opportunity it provided to look at our business and how we fit within greater Queensland.
“SHINE will further customise the TEQ program to be relevant for Sunshine Coast tourism businesses.”
The SHINE training program will be delivered via workshops and online. Tourism businesses can jump on board by emailing members@visitsunshinecoast.com.
More information on the Sunshine Moments For Real campaign is available here.
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