Qld seals MoU with Ctrip

TOURISM and Events Queensland (TEQ) has signed a new agreement with Chinese travel giant Ctrip, with the deal set to see the state promoted as the “perfect next holiday destination” to over 300 million consumers across China.

China is currently Queensland’s top international source market, last year welcoming over 500,000 Chinese visitors who spent more than $1.3 billion.

TEQ CEO Leanne Coddington said the new memorandum of understanding would allow the organisation to deliver marketing campaigns more strategically, including targeted airline and event-driven promotions.

“This places Queensland in a position of influence, with Ctrip giving priority to Queensland content on their platform, which will help drive additional outcomes in terms of visitor numbers and overseas visitor expenditure,” Coddington said.

The pact will also see close cooperation with Ctrip to develop custom-made itineraries and host Queensland content on its site.

Jenna Qian, CEO of Ctrip’s Destination Marketing division, said years of cooperation with TEQ had already seen a big improvement in the popularity and influence of Queensland in China’s tourism market.

“Ctrip provides significant advantages in the form of our big data and big platform... through integrated and precision marketing we will help Queensland further enhance its brand influence,” she said.