Wotif and the Gong get together
In a first of its kind for a tourism body, Tourism Wollongong has forged a partnership deal with Wotif.com to offer website accommodation packages along one of Australia’s most exciting coastal strips, Grand Pacific Drive.
“Web users can now visit www.grandpacificdrive.com.au to plan their stopover options then simply tap the Wotif.com logo to link directly to the Wotif.com site and see the list of accommodation deals it has available at any given time along the route,” said Tourism Wollongong General Manager Greg Binskin.
“Wotif.com offers great rates at a broad range of properties from Royal National Park just south of Sydney right down to Shoalhaven Heads and inland to Nowra, Kangaroo Valley, Berry and the Southern Highlands.”
Mr Binskin, who initiated the deal with Wotif.com CEO and Managing Director Graeme Wood, said Grand Pacific Drive only came into existence nine months ago, and having it featured on Australia’s hottest booking site would be invaluable in helping to drive awareness and bookings for properties along the 140km route.
“Wotif.com averages more than 110,000 bookings for more than 8000 hotels a month, making it easily the most popular accommodation booking engine in Australia.
“On top of that it runs offices in Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and London and sells accommodation in more than 35 countries, so is taking our message about Grand Pacific Drive to the world.”
Mr Binskin said hotel accommodation could presently be booked in Wollongong for as little as $60 per night, with the new Hotel Ibis Wollongong – the city’s first international hotel in 15 years – being offered for an introductory rate of $139 per night.
Mr Wood said Wotif.com was thrilled with the partnership because strategic alliances were a key element of the company’s business strategy and it was great to see a tourism authority being so active in promoting its region.
“This partnership will not only make it much easier for holidaymakers to book accommodation along Grand Pacific Drive but also provide Wotif.com suppliers with even more exposure. We are more than happy to work with such a motivated team.”
Information on Wollongong and the latest accommodation deals are available via www.grand pacificdrive.com.au or ring toll-free 1800 240 737.
Wotif.com was founded in 2000 by Graeme Wood after he discovered that hoteliers and other accommodation providers were willing to be flexible with their pricing. Grand Pacific Drive, which has just been declared a category winner in the 2006 NSW Tourism Awards, came into being after a magnificent new over ocean bridge was built on Lawrence Hargrave Drive to make the route safe from rockslides and Greg Binskin identified marketing opportunities from incorporating the new bridge into a longer coastal route.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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