Peppers Beach Club and Spa Palm Cove

The Year of the Dragon is off to a profitable start for Mantra Group, which reported a massive 218% uplift in bookings in Cairns and – in a new trend for the region – in Palm Cove, as an estimated 16,000 revellers chose the popular North Queensland destinations for Chinese New Year celebrations.

The influx of Chinese visitors is the result of strong sales and marketing to the Chinese market – both via Mantra Group’s own activity and through a combined effort with tourism industry bodies that have undertaken a tactical approach to luring the lucrative Chinese tourism dollar, according to Mantra Group CEO, Bob East.

“We have seen numbers from the Chinese market increase in Cairns over time but Chinese travellers are now venturing out to Palm Cove and taking full advantage of the region which is great to see,” said Bob East.

Mantra Trilogy and Mantra Esplanade in Cairns led with more than three times the number of room nights on 2011, while Peppers Beach Club & Spa in Palm Cove recorded its best Chinese New Year event period ever.

“We acknowledge that last year the weather factor played its part in the region – despite that we were happy with our numbers leading into Chinese New Year 2011, however the response to this year’s celebrations has far exceeded our expectations.”

The Mantra Group sales team is in market at least five times a year either independently or with Tourism Queensland and Tourism Australia sales missions to China, complemented by monthly interstate activity visiting International Tourism Operators and ATEC related initiatives.

The efforts are now paying dividends for the industry – an extra 13 charter flights were scheduled on top of China Southern, China Eastern, Cathay Pacific and Qantas airlines schedules into Cairns to cope with demand – with Mantra and Peppers accommodation options obviously now top of mind.

Mantra Group is the largest operator of hotels and resorts in Queensland with over 60 Peppers, Mantra and BreakFree properties from as far north as Port Douglas down to Coolangatta in the south.  There are 15 properties in the Group’s North Queensland network located in Port Douglas, Palm Cove, Cairns and Townsville.

James Wilkinson

Editor-In-Chief, Hotel Management

One reply on “Mantra records 218% uplift in TNQ bookings during Chinese New Year”