Community effort brings bookings from New Zealand

Mark Beech from Rainbow Ocean Palms Resort and Heatley Gilmore from Rainbow Getaway Holiday Apartments show off Rainbow Beach's publication for New Zealand, called Visit Rainbow Beach

Mark Beech from Rainbow Ocean Palms Resort and Heatley Gilmore from Rainbow Getaway Holiday Apartments show off Rainbow Beach’s publication for New Zealand, called Visit Rainbow Beach

With the power of 24 businesses, and the prowess of the Community News team, 100,000 16-page Visit Rainbow Beach supplements were distributed across New Zealand.

“Congratulations!” we heard from Vicky Williamson on the Rainbow Beach Chamber of Commerce and Tourism (RBCT) Association website.

“Hello From NZ. I just want to congratulate the Rainbow Beach Community for their fantastic initiative to advertise themselves via a newspaper insert in the New Zealand Herald yesterday.

“When we lived on the Sunshine Coast we visited your region and loved it. I hope this initiative brings many visitors because it is a fantastic place.”

Lyn Davidson from Rainbow Beach Houseboats said she had a 7 night booking at lunchtime, “I thought ‘come on! It’s probably just a coincidence’.”

Lyn asked if he had seen the ad. “He said the whole thing made Rainbow Beach sound fantastic – you don’t get better feedback than that.

“They were coming to Queensland anyway, after seeing the insert and our ad he decided to take a houseboat on the Sandy Straits and Fraser Island.”

Rainbow Getaway Holiday Apartments also received an enquiry that same day, and has had two seven-night bookings since! Rainbow Beach Holiday Village has also had bookings.

Driven by Heatley and Michelle Gilmore from the Community News team, the insert cost about $20,000 and was much more cost effective because they donated their time. Heatley said, “We were so impressed that there was such positive support and backing for the magazine.

“Everyone was on board, from the local grocers and tackle shop, to tour and accommodation operators in what was more than a tourism plug, but a personal invitation to escape their New Zealand winter.”

After attending a New Zealand Roadshow last year, Heatley, who also operates Rainbow Getaway Holiday Apartments, met with travel and booking agents from across the two isles, spruiking the Sunshine Coast with other business owners and Council tourism chief, Andrew Saunders.

The supplement was released in time to be reinforced by promotions of Air New Zealand seasonal direct flights into Sunshine Coast Airport.

In June, Andrew Saunders will meet with 60 top agents from New Zealand, and a famil of nine agents will experience the Great Beach Drive, eateries and view accommodation here.

He says it is good timing with the insert and he will use it as part of his presentation in the QLD on Tour NZ.

He also encourages operators to take note where guests come from for future initiatives.

You can click on the publication yourself at: www.visitrainbowbeach.com.au/ or find Visit Rainbow Beach on Facebook or Instagram.

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