Tourism Queensland is to hold a pitch among its roster agencies after being handed an additional $10 million in marketing budget following the floods.
Chief executive Anthony Hayes told AdNews the state government will hand Tourism Queensland $5 million, while the federal government will match the contribution through Tourism Australia.
"We are currently working on a joint plan with Tourism Australia to tell visitors internationally and domestically that we are open for business.
Hayes said Tourism Queensland's rostered agencies including Clemenger BBDO, SapientNitro and Banjo as well as Tourism Australia's creative agency DDB, have been invited to pitch ideas for a campaign. The activity will promote the state domestically and internationally.
“They have all been brilliant in saying they will help to create the right solution. We have 117,000 registered tourism businesses and they are largely small business people who need our help.
“We were granted the funding as a result of the floods and now we are watching a cyclone, which we must take into consideration as we formulate a marketing plan.
“It needs to be both the short term focus on Australia and New Zealand with easter coming up and also a longer term international focus so what we can counteract those pictures they have seen on TV. We need to spend the money at the right time to get bang for our buck.”
Hayes said additional funding was allocated to Tourism Victoria after the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.
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