By James Wilkinson on Hamilton Island

Hamilton Island is continuing to be a hot destination for conferences and events in 2009, with the Queensland getaway putting up the “full house” sign for groups in September.

Hamilton Island is perfect for business or pleasure

Speaking exclusively to SpiceNews, Hamilton Island CEO Glenn Bourke said the MICE segment is performing very well for the island as a whole, thanks in part to the publicity generated by The Best Job in the World promotion.

“September is full and we can’t take any more groups,” he said. “Lead times are shorter, however forward bookings for 2010/2011 are already looking quite healthy with a couple of large groups already confirmed.

“I believe (the market) is coming back and we have the right location and products to offer,” he said.

Bourke said the new offerings on Hamilton Island – the Yacht Club and 18-hole Peter Thomson-designed golf course, which open in the second half of 2009 – are contributing to the success of the MICE segment, while leisure travel is also receiving a much-needed boost.

“Our new products, recent refurbishments, easy access, domestic location and international publicity generated by The Best Job in the World campaign have all contributed,” he said.

Bourke also attributed Virgin Blue’s new direct Sydney-Hamilton Island flights to the positive response in bookings the destination has received of late.