The promise of borders opening to the sunshine state has some famous faces welcoming visitors to the Gold Coast and thousands of families across Brisbane and Sydney will find a ‘Wish You Were Here’ postcard in their letterbox this week.
Gold Coaster Mat Rogers, NRL great and reality television star, along with homegrown Olympic gold medalist Giaan Rooney, are just two of the famous faces who have penned personal postcard invitations inviting Australian families to come back and play on the Gold Coast.
Joining them is hundreds of iconic tourism operators and local personalities who handwrote 3,000 bespoke messages on postcards featuring the city’s favourite hotspots and hidden gems, from Warner Bros. Movie World to the picturesque Tallebudgera Creek.
The ‘Wish You Were Here’ postcards are designed to spark holiday nostalgia as the travel bug bites again. And for their southern counterparts, the activation inspires Melbournians to the day that they can come and play again.
Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista said the Gold Coast was ready to welcome back travellers with open arms and remind families of all the reasons the city is Australia’s favourite playground.
“This pandemic has changed us as a society, and what we truly value. It’s seen a renaissance of quality family time, which is exactly why Australians choose to holiday on the Gold Coast,” Ms Battista said.
“We hope that, when families find these handwritten postcards in their mailboxes, they will reminisce about their past holiday experiences and childhood memories of the Gold Coast.”
“By sharing heartfelt messages from our tourism operators, we wanted to give Aussies a taste of the incredible and unique experiences they can expect when they come back to play again.”
“From our stunning beaches and beautiful rainforest scenery to our thriving café culture, playful experiences and friendly locals, sun-soaked fun awaits families year-round.”
Ms Battista said local tourism operators were rejoicing at the progress being made that has allowed for the highly-anticipated border reopening, having taken major losses over the last few months.
Last year, the Gold Coast drew a record 14.2 million visitors, but the COVID-19 travel ban halted the city’s biggest economic driver in tourism, worth $6 billion per year.
