Tourism Noosa has welcomed a surge of international trade familiarisations over recent weeks, showcasing the region’s world-class tourism offerings to key travel trade partners across the UK, New Zealand and Europe.
In partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) and Tourism Australia, Noosa hosted 14 Aussie Specialist agents from Noosa’s core markets of Germany, Italy and France, who explored the region’s signature experiences and gained fresh insight into Noosa’s tourism strengths.
A group of six top New Zealand travel agents, including TEQ’s New Zealand Director, also visited to experience first-hand why Noosa continues to be a favourite for Kiwi travellers, supported by the convenience of year-round Jetstar flights from Auckland.
Travel Agents from Flight Centre UK immersed themselves in Noosa’s unique coastal-meets-hinterland lifestyle, declaring it their “favourite place in the world”. Their visit will soon be amplified through dedicated social content and new sales-agent training resources. Also from the UK, six top agents on a Prestige Travel UK famil were delighted to see kangaroos at sunrise on Lake Cootharaba during their stay at Habitat Noosa.
Last week, Noosa also welcomed a visit from Scott Dunn UK, one of the United Kingdom’s leading luxury tour operators specialising in bespoke, high-end holidays. The team experienced Noosa’s premium accommodation and experiences, further cementing the region’s appeal for discerning travellers. Tourism Noosa also joined an exclusive luxury agent event on Makepeace Island, showcasing Noosa’s premium holiday offering to more than 25 influential luxury agents.
In addition to hosting famils, Tourism Noosa’s International Trade Manager, Vynka Hutton visited key Inbound Tour Operators in Sydney, conducting product training and refresh sessions to ensure Noosa remains top of mind with Australia’s most influential trade partners.
Ms Hutton said the recent burst of trade activity highlights the increasing global interest in Noosa and the value of giving partners a first-hand experience of the destination.
“These famils play a crucial role in strengthening our connections with key trade partners,” she said. “Experiencing Noosa in person builds their referral confidence, enhances destination knowledge and ensures we remain top-of-mind when agents are planning holidays for their clients.”
“Keeping our inbound partners up to date with refreshed product knowledge is also important and ensures Noosa stays front and centre when international itineraries are being designed,” Ms Hutton said. “It’s a powerful way to reinforce what makes Noosa such a standout destination.”
Zoe Jennings from Sunshine Resorts commented “We love working with trade and wholesaler partners as they help us reach parts of the world we’d never reach on our own. We recently hosted the New Zealand group in conjunction with Tourism Noosa and TEQ, which was a fantastic opportunity. We already welcome so many NZ travellers across our resorts, and direct flights are only strengthening that connection. Seeing the group’s excitement for the region and how much they squeezed into their visit was truly rewarding. Experiences like that are what make this job so special for me.”
Joel McPherson from Joel’s Journeys has worked with trade for some time and said “Working with international trade through Tourism Noosa has been insightful and rewarding, where we have connected with many ITOs, wholesalers and agents. Some of the many benefits to Joel’s Journeys through working with trade include; establishing mutually beneficial relationships with those who offer our guided tours to their clients; increased forward bookings for our guided tours; and a better understanding of our guided tour products throughout the industry.”
These combined efforts deliver strong benefits for Tourism Noosa members, increasing international visitor nights and spend while strengthening Noosa’s position as a premium global destination. This is reflected in the consistent growth shown in the International Visitor Survey (IVS) data collected by Tourism Research Australia. Noosa has achieved record visitor spend from key international markets, particularly New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Europe (with strong growth from Scandinavia). This increased spend supports the economic sustainability of Noosa’s tourism businesses, with benefits distributed and enjoyed by many others across the wider Noosa Shire.
