One of the world's top tourism attractions is highlighting a taste of Toowoomba to the world.
Rated No 8 in the world on travel website Tripadvisor's 2024 Travellers' Choice Awards, the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore is regarded as a man-made marvel by those that have experienced it.
In a major publicity coup, the Toowoomba Region features in a two-month 850m2 pop-up display at the Gardens by the Bay to commemorate this year's 75th anniversary of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
Toowoomba Region Mayor Geoff McDonald is excited what this could mean for the city's appeal as a destination of choice in the future, as well as strengthening trade linkages.
"Having hosted Gardens by the Bay staff in Toowoomba on four occasions, as well as a staff exchange to Singapore, this initiative is a wonderful example of how meetings can evolve into friendships that then transform into genuine collaborations and partnerships to achieve great things," Mayor McDonald said.
"The Gardens by the Bay display will be seen by an estimated 700,000 people which provides an exceptional opportunity to showcase the natural beauty of our region from a tourism perspective," he said.
"Gardens by the Bay drew more than 9.4 million visitors in 2022 and is going from strength-to-strength year-on-year.
"The Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers is the first Australian destination ever to be displayed at one of the rotational displays within the Flower Dome, which is the world's largest greenhouse.
"We thank Gardens by the Bay Chief Executive Officer Felix Loh for working with us to bring this opportunity to fruition.
"This display provides a fantastic opportunity to highlight the vibrancy, beauty and energy of our region to a large number of Singaporeans and international tourists alike.
"We're confident that visitors will make an emotional connection to our region and consider visiting our very unique location."
"Our own Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers last year captured the Best Major Festival and Event in Australia for the fourth time and is nationally recognised. It is time to take what we have to offer to the world."
Mayor McDonald said future trade opportunities are also being encouraged during the delegation. Council-funded economic development organisation Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) are leading a Market Connections Tour to Singapore and regional tourism organisation Queensland Country Tourism leading a tourism opportunities delegation.
"The trade delegation is showcasing the opportunities and benefits of doing business with Singapore which is a major regional hub for multinational businesses and a trade-orientated market economy," he said.
"Trade and business ties between Australia and Singapore are strong and we have a long and trusted food partnership which was further strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic supply chain disruptions.
"90 per cent of Singapore's food is imported and the Toowoomba Region is well positioned to meet these needs in the premium segment of the market.
"There are many opportunities we hope to explore during this extraordinary one-off initiative."
"This is an international promotion which position the Toowoomba Region at the centre-stage of a world-class tourist attraction in Gardens by the Bay."
Participating businesses involved in the TSBE-led tour will be supported with commercial introductions and market briefings that will provide greater insights on how to successfully do business in the Singapore market.
Further notes:
The Travellers' Choice Awards Best of the Best title is awarded to those destinations which receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period and out of eight million listings, fewer than 1% achieve the milestone.
The Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers has won Australian Tourism Award for Best Major Festival and/or Event in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2023.
Australia is Singapore's fifth largest trading partner ($50.5 billion in 2022-23) across a number of service-related industries, advanced engineering and manufacturing, technology and agricultural produce.
