Redlands Coast’s beautiful North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) took centre stage on Thursday, 28 June 2018 as 190 staff members and volunteers from visitor information centres across South East Queensland visited the island.
Redland City Council hosted the event to showcase the beautiful Redlands Coast.
Mayor Karen Williams said Council was working with tourism operators across the city to increase the number of visitors to Redlands Coast.
“It is no surprise the visitor information centre staff members and volunteers fell in love with North Stradbroke Island and its sheer beauty,” Cr Williams said.
“They were also impressed by the Quandamooka culture, their experience of which included a welcome to country by Aunty Lynette Shipway, and a welcome performance by Quandamooka song man Joshua Walker and the Yulu Burri Ba Dancers.
“Our intrastate visitors also learnt about Quandamooka culture through Quandamooka man Matthew Burns’ cultural artefacts demonstrations.
“I am very pleased that they went away saying they would be recommending Redlands Coast to all who visited their centres across South East Queensland.”
The visitors with the means to encourage tourism to Redlands Coast came from a range of areas, including Brisbane, Brisbane Airport, Scenic Rim, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Wynnum-Manly and Lockyer Valley.
Welcomed by Deputy Mayor Lance Hewlett to the island, the volunteers experienced its naturally wonderful beauty, including Brown Lake and the majestic headlands of Point Lookout.
“They were delighted with the abundant wildlife and marine life, including dolphins, koala and kangaroos,” Cr Hewlett said.
“It was a great opportunity for our visitors to discover the hidden gems and little adventures here on Redlands Coast that many locals know about.”
On their visit to Redlands Coast, the volunteers were presented with the new brand and the true meaning, heart and spirit of this beautiful region.
Organised by Council, the visit was held to educate the attending volunteers and staff members about Redlands Coast, showcase the abundance of tourism products and experiences on offer, and have them finish the day feeling inspired and ready to promote our region.
The North Stradbroke Island visit follows on the back of the Redlands Tourism and Events Forum on 19 June where the Redlands Coast brand was launched to more than 140 enthusiastic local tourism and event operators.
One of the key outcomes of both events is the networking opportunities.
For our local providers, many operators at the tourism forum initiated new partnerships and product packages to create exceptional experiences for international, domestic and local visitors.