On Newsport last Thursday (April 15) we reported that Tourism Australia appeared to be talking to everyone except the far North with regard to it's trans-Australian road show venues. This, we are delighted to report today has now been rectified with the help of Cairns Regional Council local invitation to get involved (as per article today on Newsport entitled " far North joins Global campaign). Well done TA and well done CRC.

At the risk of appearing paranoid however, it nows seems that our very own Tourism Queensland (TQ) has decided to join the 'Where (or is it) who the bloody hell are you?" campaign for the Far North.  It defies logic that instead of using Queensland's very own 'Jewel of the Pacific Rim', Port Douglas and surrounding region to be the centre piece, they are going to use The Gold Coast as the 'starring role' when the curtain is drawn on Tourism Queensland's new brand later this year.

TQ will ditch its long-standing 'Where Else But Queensland' marketing campaign after 13 years, replacing it with a fresh brand and strategy.  It is also working on another campaign, following its highly successful 'Best Job in the World', which it will unveil in early 2011.

TQ chief executive Anthony Hayes said the new brand was a big deal for the industry.  "We had 'Where Else But Queensland' for 13 years and 'Beautiful One Day, Perfect the next for 10 years'," said Mr Hayes.

"This is a big deal and a huge challenge. We had a chat with the Premier (Anna Bligh) and she was happy with both the ideas. We will be launching the new brand in September. We have a budget of $71 million and have allocated money for this".

"The Gold Coast is an essential part of where we are heading and it is an essential part of Queensland's tourism industry."  The next 'big idea' to follow the 'Best Job in the World' would heavily feature the Gold Coast.

"This one is not going to be about one place, like the Best Job in the World was about the Great Barrier Reef. This will be about all of Queensland," he said. 
"The Gold Coast will have a staring role (in both the brand change and next campaign). "We have asked the board for $2 million to allow us to work on that."

Mr Hayes said the group was going to launch the campaign this year but the industry was still riding on the success of the Best Job in the World.  The campaign -- a competition to find a caretaker for Hamilton Island for a year -- was by far TQ's most successful venture, with millions of people around the world viewing the website to see the entrants and then blogs posted by UK winner Ben Southall.

"Ben's contract ended it September last year, but we still had people following him, so we signed him for another year," said Mr Hayes.  "But instead of staying in Australia his job is to pick different countries around the world and go on morning talk shows and talk about his experience."

Mr Hayes told the audience that Tourism Queensland would continue to work closely with Gold Coast Tourism to ensure growth on the four million tourists to the region in 2009.

All up, almost 18 million people visited Queensland last year, spending a whopping $15.5 billion.

Editors Comments: Hasn't anyone at Tourism Queensland heard of the expression, "If it ain't broke don't fix it!".  Why change the location of the most successful campaign they have ever run, why change the format, just run it again and find another Ben Southall.   Ben has and is doing such a great job for us, just think what two Ben Southalls could do ?
Now don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against the Gold Coast, it's a great place but I'm not sure the rest of the world thinks of Australia as being like the Gold Coast.   Most Europeans, Japanese and Americans think Great Barrier Reef, World Heritage rainforests and Indigenous art and culture, not pretty 'metre maids', surfing and 24 hour nightclubs.   Please TQ rethink this campaign before it's too late.   Australia can't go on getting it wrong.