Sunshine Coast’s Mountain Bike Tourism initiative among recovery grant recipients

Mountain Bike Tourism, led by Visit Sunshine Coast was one of nine Queensland campaigns and initiatives to receive State Government funding to help with recovery.

The funding was announced at DestinationQ forum by Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe who noted “Locally focused Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) work closely with Tourism and Events Queensland to market their visitor experiences to potential holidaymakers.

“Tourism operators rely on RTOs to promote their region and attract the visitors that support local jobs and the economic wellbeing of towns and cities.       

With Minister Hinchliffe adding that “RTOs know their region’s strengths better than anyone,” he advised that the State Government “is putting money on the table to fund RTO-designed marketing campaigns, in addition to longer, strategic state-wide projects.”

The Contestable Grants Program has awarded funding to campaigns and initiatives including:

• Drive SGBR – led by Bundaberg Tourism and Gladstone Area Promotion and Development

• Best of Queensland Support Program – led by Brisbane Economic Development Agency

• Reunite in Paradise – led by Destination Gold Coast

• Southern Queensland Food and Wine – led by Southern Queensland Country Tourism

• Mountain Bike Tourism – led by Visit Sunshine Coast

• Drive North Queensland – led by Tourism Tropical North Queensland in partnership with Townsville Enterprise, Tourism Whitsundays, Mackay Tourism and Outback Queensland Tourism Association

• Youth and Adventure – led by Tourism Whitsundays in partnership with Tourism Tropical North Queensland

The Strategic Grants Program delivers funding to two whole-of-state projects involving every RTO:

• The RTO Geo-Data Service Project

• The RTO Climate Change Action Plan

Minister Hinchliffe continued “I’m looking forward to working with RTOs as their projects and campaigns flourish, encouraging more visitors to Queensland to support local jobs and our industry’s pandemic recovery.

“As we get closer to our double vaccination targets, the RTO campaigns and projects we’ve funded will be important to satisfying the pent-up demand across Australia for an iconic Queensland getaway.

“Summer holiday bookings are flowing in as interstate confidence grows.

“These grants will help RTOs to do what they do best; to promote and leverage demand for their tourism operators, which benefits all Queenslanders, as a contributor to the State’s Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan.”

Image courtesy visitsunshinecoast.com/guide/mountain-biking-in-caloundra