REEF & RAINFOREST ON SHOW IN SHANGHAI

The Great Barrier Reef and Tropical North Queensland will be the focus of four new retail shops to be opened in China’s thriving economic centre, the city of Shanghai.

While the world is looking toward China with the 2008 Olympics, the booming Chinese tourism industry is looking outbound and Cairns is set to capture a significant market thanks to innovative branding projects led by the Quicksilver Group and Cairns attractions partners.

Aimed at promoting Queensland’s world heritage icons of the Reef and Rainforest, four leading Shanghai outbound travel agent retail shops (Shanghai Spring, Shanghai China Travel International, Shanghai China International Travel Services and Shanghai China Youth Travel Services) will be branded with the theme of ‘Cairns, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef’.

“The newly branded shops will bring together a range of quality Great Barrier Reef and Cairns land based touring products to the people of Shanghai and surrounding regions,” said Michael Healy, Quicksilver Group Director of Sales and Marketing.

“Our goal is to ensure a professional and personalised service to satisfy the needs of Shanghai consumers and the rapidly growing Chinese tourism industry.”

Cairns tourism operators involved in the branding projects include Quicksilver and Great Adventures reef cruises, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Kuranda Scenic Rail, Cairns Optional Tours Alliances (COTA), GBR Helicopters, Seawalker @Green Island and Scuba Doo.

The Shanghai branded travel shops follow the success of similarly branded shops done by the Quicksilver Group in the Southern China provinces of Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

“In addition to the support of our Shanghai agents and tourism partners, we commend Tourism Queensland and Tourism Tropical North Queensland for their continued support,” Mr Healy said.