Last weekend saw the official opening of many of the Bundaberg region’s tourism operators, as well as the Bundaberg Tourism’s Visitor Information Centres (VICs).
Bundaberg Tourism chief executive Katherine Reid said it was a busy weekend.
“Across the first 72 hours of opening, the VICs welcomed over 210 guests through our doors, and responded to more than 50 phone calls and emails as visitors flocked from around the state,” Katherine said.
“While it was predominately South-East Queenslanders who made the short trek north, Bundaberg Tourism staff also fielded calls and social media comments from across the nation.
“Bundaberg Tourism and the regional tourism industry have been working very hard during lockdown to ensure the Bundaberg region maintained its presence in the holiday dreams of our target markets, with inspirational social media content and blogs pushing good news stories about the region.
“Since the lockdowns started to ease, the BT team have been working incredibly hard to assist the region’s tourism operators to reopen, from helping with interpreting all of the COVID-safe requirements to implementing marketing campaigns to drive travellers back to the region.
“Across the weekend, I saw first-hand lines out the door in shops in Bargara and have taken calls from hoteliers who are at or near completely full, which was an incredible feeling.
“This is just the beginning of a long journey into our new normal.
“In 2019, the Bundaberg region welcomed a record 1.7 million visitors and while we want to see these numbers return in time to ensure our region’s economic recovery, we are also very conscious of the hard work it takes to ensure that our community and our visitors stay safe.”
Reef operators Lady Musgrave Experience and Lady Elliot Island have been welcoming their first guests, with the abundant marine life putting on a show to match the experience offered by the staff of both island experiences.
Already, social media has been flooded with images of delighted travellers returning to Bundaberg’s bucketlist experiences, including blogger and influencer Annie from The Londoner In Sydney, one of the first guests to touch down on Lady Elliot Island as a guest of Bundaberg Tourism.
Lady Musgrave Experience shared a recap of the weekend on social media from their resident marine biologist and Master Reef Guide Natalie Lobartolo sharing some of the highlights their guests enjoyed. You can check it out here.
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