Media Releases

16 July 2010
A new $330,000 tourism marketing campaign focused on promoting whale watching on the Fraser Coast will roll out across South East Queensland from this weekend, Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor announced today.

Mr Lawlor said Tourism Queensland's Fraser Coast Whale Watching campaign would run until October and was coordinated in partnership with Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism and 26 local tourism operators.

"The campaign objective is to promote the Fraser Coast as Queensland's signature whale watch destination," Mr Lawlor said.

"The, 'bigger than you imagined' campaign incorporates information on both whale watching and a range of other experiences to be had in the Fraser Coast region throughout the campaign period.

"From July through to November these majestic creatures choose to 'holiday' on the Fraser Coast and we want Queenslanders to do the same, experiencing the whales first-hand.

"Locals and visitors can have an up-close-and-personal experience with humpbacks in their natural habitat as they breach up out of the water or curiously swim alongside the boat."

Mr Lawlor said the campaign would feature, print, TV and online components including ad placements on popular websites such as News.com, Our Brisbane and across the Yahoo network.

"For the first time this year we have also set up a live twitter feed on the whalesherveybay.com site where operators can tweet about all things whales, including sightings and whale facts," he said.

"The latest campaign activity is in addition to a series of billboards and outdoor ads for the Fraser Coast whale watching season which we started rolling out across Brisbane in June.

"200,000 copies of the 2010 whale watch brochure, produced by Tourism Queensland will also be distributed, with 20,000 postcards promoting the season available at a range of retail and tourist locations in South East Queensland.

"Campaign ads will also feature across a range of TV networks throughout Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast."

Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism CEO Damien Massingham said that the whale watching season was vital for the Fraser Coast region, as well as the local economy.

"Each year the whale watching season brings over 60,000 visitors, both domestic and international into our region, injecting approximately $80 million into our local economy," Mr Massingham said.

"This not only benefits our tourism operators, but it brings benefits to a large variety of businesses with the Fraser Coast region.

"The campaign is already producing promising results, and is proving highly effective in reinforcing our position as the whale watching capital of Australia."

Mr Lawlor said Ben Southall, Queensland's Tourism Ambassador and former Island Caretaker would be in the region over the weekend to help launch the campaign during the Calling of the Whales Festival.

"During his time as the Best Job in the World Island Caretaker, Ben was lucky enough to visit Hervey Bay where he had a first-hand whale watching experience and he's really excited to be back in the region to launch the 2010 whale watching season," he said.

Mr Lawlor said tourism was a vital industry for the Fraser Coast region with 924,000 domestic and international tourists visiting the region in the year ending March 2010.

"There is no better time than during the whale watching season, July - November, to visit the Fraser Coast and see the region in all its glory and I encourage everyone to take some time to visit and check it out."

For more information on whale watching on the Fraser Coast visit www.whalesherveybay.com.au and for regular updates visit www.queenslandholidays.com.au/fraser-coast-holidays/whale-watching/bay-update.cfm