Marketing plans to share heritage
TROPICAL NORTH HAS A MIX OF INDIGENOUS TOURISM OFFERINGS WHERE TRAVELLERS CAN LEARN ABOUT THE CULTURE. TIMELESS EXPERIENCES WILL PROMOTE THEM WORLDWIDE
ALEX DE WAAL TROPICAL North Queensland’s indigenous tourism offerings will be marketed around the world under the new product name of Timeless Experiences with the tagline “Sharing our Reef and Rainforest stories”.
The name and tagline were finalised at the Tropical North Queensland Indigenous Tourism Creative Workshop last week after the 19 participants representing local indigenous tourism products met several times over the past 12 months.
Brand artwork is being developed and once complete TTNQ will produce a video as well as brand and product brochures promoting Timeless Experiences to be used in both the domestic and international markets.
Tropical North Queensland currently has a mix of authentic indigenous tourism experiences where travellers can interact with indigenous people and learn more about their culture.
In addition, this destination is the only region with two distinct indigenous cultures: the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
We want people to visit Tropical North Queensland for indigenous cultural experiences as well as the well-established Reef and rainforest stories that currently drive visitation.
The time is right for this effort as it will tap into the shift- ing mentality of tourists who are becoming travellers looking for richer, authentic experiences of the people and culture of the places they visit.
The Timeless Experiences brand will enable TTNQ to work with Tourism and Events Queensland to better leverage the region’s indigenous tourism potential. As demand grows for indigenous experiences we anticipate more indigenous-owned small businesses will develop.
Indigenous art exhibitions are becoming more frequent in our destination thanks to the strong interest generated by the Cairns and Indigenous Art Fair.
Tomorrow, UMI Arts will launch two exhibitions.
Bernard Singleton has curated Reflecting Totems, featuring Steve Tranby Murgha; and Shannon Brett has curated the 2017 Members’ You and Me Exhibition featuring Dorothy Edwards, Kassandra Savage, Lisa Michl, Arone Meeks, Beau Pennefather, Henry Brim, Kawanji Rothi Brady, Bernard Singleton, Peter Mathew Kula Kula, Simone Arnol, Agnes Mark and Harold Bowen.
Next week Pandanus Gallery at Palm Cove will launch the Aurukun Camp Dogs and Exotic Birds exhibition of carvings. It will be the largest Wik and Kugu Art Centre exhibition outside CIAF this year.
A big thank you to the workshop participants for the time they invested in the indigenous positioning project.
They include Active Tropics Explorer, Adventure North – The Bama Way, CIAF, Daintree Discovery Centre, Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa, Djunbundji Ltd, Down Under Tours, Flames of the Forest, Gab Titui Cultural Centre, Guurbi Tours, Ingan Tours, Janbal Gallery, Mossman Gorge Centre, Pandanus Gallery, Rainforestation Nature Park’s Pamagirri Experience, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Tjapukai, Savannah Way Ltd and Walkabout Cultural Adventures. Alex de Waal is chief executive at Tourism Tropical North Queensland