Gold Coast welcomes Arab agents
GOLD COAST – The Gold Coast will seek to maintain its grip on the vital Middle Eastern visitor market by showcasing its wares during Tourism Australia’s 2009 Yinala programme this weekend.
Fifty-five Middle Eastern travel agency staff will be involved in the four-day event in order to update their knowledge of Australian tourism products through workshops and familiarisation programmes.
More than 28,000 visitors from Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia plus other Middle Eastern destinations travelled to Queensland last year, with a significant proportion of those individuals choosing the Gold Coast as their holiday location.
A total statewide injection of more than A$14 million into local economies reaffirms the importance of the Middle Eastern market to the Gold Coast region.
“Through hosting Yinala this year, Gold Coast operators will be able to directly showcase all the fun and excitement that can be had throughout the region,†said Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter.
“It also gives the destination an opportunity to highlight the many ways it intends to service the Middle Eastern requirements during the Ramadan period which will run from August 22 to September 20 this year.
The Indigenous Australian word ‘Yinala’ means gathering or sitting down place.
Ian Jarrett
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