By DAMIEN MASSINGHAM
NOOSA was this week showcased to a group of leading agents from the youth and adventure market when Nomads hosted their yearly ‘travelmart’, bringing together agents from across Australia.
About 30 agents from various agencies including Adventure Travel Bugs, Nomads Mad Travel Agents, Peterpan Adventure Travel and Backpacker World Travel visited Noosa for a product update on the destination. The agents participated in a range of activities from stand up paddling, taking a walk through the Noosa National Park, enjoying fish and chips on the river, a sunset cruise on the Noosa River and a two-day visit to Fraser Island.
Our Industry Development manager Juanita Bloomfield hosted the agents for a sunset cruise followed by dinner on Monday evening. Feedback from the agents included that they enjoyed a magical sunset and were amazed as to how much is on offer in Noosa for this market. They were particularly impressed with how much can be self guided, such as seeing the Noosa Everglades by kayak and hiking.
The youth and backpacking market contributes a significant 44 per cent to the total inbound visitor expenditure in Australia, spending over $7000 on average per person for their trip to Australia [source: Tourism Australia – Youth Travel Trends December 2013]. The youth and backpacking market are also strong users of social media and when enjoying experiences in the region, they share a wide range of messages that can only heighten the awareness and probability of further visitation by high yield consumers to Noosa.
Getting a slice of this pie for the Noosa region brings economic benefits for all those living in our region. We can achieve this because Noosa is a must-visit destination for backpackers, giving visitors an opportunity to enjoy all that Noosa has to offer, while also being the gateway to Fraser Island.
