Sapphire Coast Tourism (SCT) is currently accompanying Visit Canberra on a second Canberra and region sales mission to Singapore, adding Malaysia to the itinerary this time.
The five day mission includes one on one meetings with over 50 key distribution partners mostly retail and wholesale travel agents as well as industry trade expos and travel and lifestyle media briefings in both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
SCT has been joined by Brett Weingarth of Magical Oyster Tours who has chosen to accompany the mission at his own expense, and local operators,who are in the international distribution chain, have also made contributions to include their product in sales material and itineraries.
Executive officer of SCT, Anthony Osborne said: ''Having an experience like Magical Oyster Tours on the trip with us is a great win and is a perfect fit for this market. It adds an experiential component with Sapphire Coast Oysters on the menu and shucking and tasting a part of the story we are telling the industry here.''
Ian Hill, executive director of Visit Canberra said that Visit Canberra was partnering with over 20 operators and regional tourism operators as part of an integrated sales mission to Singapore and Malaysia.
“These missions are critical to raise awareness of Canberra and the surrounding regions including spectacular places like the Sapphire Coast. Sales missions help drive conversion through key distribution partners and we are already seeing more international visitors book a holiday to our region since the commencement of the new direct aviation services from Singapore Airlines,” Mr Hill said.
“It's fundamental that we are in market now to ensure we grow the value of the visitor economy to the ACT and Southern NSW. We are a new and exciting destination to consumers in SE Asia and feedback from offshore partners has been very positive. Having the Sapphire Coast as part of a Canberra and region experience adds great appeal,'' Mr Hill said.
Mr Osborne said that the Asian market was both lucrative and travel savvy.
“We have this great opportunity on our doorstep with international flights now direct into Canberra, it makes us so much more accessible.
“Singapore visitors are repeat visitors to Australia and on the lookout for something new and we deliver that. Positioning our destination and experiences as part of the Visit Canberra story is the strategy and joining Visit Canberra again on this mission is a critical part of the partnership. Since our last visit in March we have seen Singapore bookings locally already, so the signs are good.
