Top travel agents from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan – all specialising in selling Australian holidays – will converge on the Gold Coast from 23 – 28 June for Tourism Australia’s inaugural Corroboree Greater China.

Tourism Australia Managing Director John O’Sullivan Andrew said it was the first time Tourism Australia had held a Corroboree China event in Australia.

O’Sullivan said, “This represents one of the largest international trade events staged in Australia during 2014 and, all up, will see in excess of 400 people attending, including Australian tourism operators, media and, of course, a significant number of Greater China’s top travel agents.

“These Aussie Specialists are all frontline retail travel agents who actively sell Australia as a preferred long-haul destination to Chinese travellers. The five-day event provides a professional forum for our industry to train them and strengthen their specific product knowledge.”

O’Sullivan said it would also be a fantastic opportunity for the Gold Coast to give them a taste of Australia’s best tourism experiences, and was ideally timed ahead of the city’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

He said, “With the region’s stunning beaches, wildlife attractions and incredible produce, the Gold Coast ticks all the boxes for what Chinese visitors look for in an Australian holiday – it’s the perfect destination for this event.

Corroboree Greater China will be the second opportunity for Queensland to impress the international tourism industry in 2014, with Cairns currently hosting the Australian Tourism Exchange.

“Tourism is the lifeblood of this State and it’s great to see Queensland hosting two of the country’s most prestigious trade events in the same year.”