The world’s first rideshare submarine, scUber, has arrived in Tropical North Queensland where it will focus the eyes of the globe on the Great Barrier Reef off Cairns and Port Douglas.
Fire and Emergency Services Minister and Member for Barron River Craig Crawford said the scUber campaign would operate at Agincourt Reef for the next fortnight, where competition winners from across the globe would also experience the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Mr Crawford said the campaign was a landmark partnership between Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) and rideshare leader Uber.
“This promotion is about attracting more tourists to the Great Barrier Reef because that means jobs for our local community,” he said.
“Cairns is a pivotal gateway to the reef and that’s why we’re bringing this unique experience to Agincourt today.
“Tourism is a cornerstone of the Tropical North Queensland economy and we’re constantly looking for new ways to grow the visitor market in this region.
“What better way to promote Tropical North Queensland than a submarine on the reef?”
Acting Tourism Industry Development Minister Di Farmer said the Palaszczuk Government was marketing Queensland overseas to attract more tourists and create more tourism jobs in the Sunshine State.
“We launched scUber two weeks ago and already it’s reached a potential global audience of more than three billion people, generating more than 3500 news stories and attracting more than 150,000 competition entries,” she said.
“Now it’s Tropical North Queensland’s turn to host scUber, which is all about telling the story of the reef’s diversity, resilience, world-leading management and the importance of tourism.
“The more tourists that come to this part of the world, the more jobs we support.
“We want more people to experience the Great Barrier Reef and by sharing its beauty with more people around the world, we can better promote conservation of our greatest tourism asset.”
Tourism and Events Queensland Chief Executive Officer Leanne Coddington said the momentum would continue with high-profile influencers and media scheduled for scUber rides during the next fortnight.
“We have high profile media outlets from Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada here in Cairns ready to experience scUber tomorrow – these media will share the story of the reef to millions,” Ms Coddington said.
“Over the next week we will also welcome the competition winners from Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the US, France and Canada, providing some wonderful story opportunities to showcase TNQ’s stunning reef experience.
“There will also be on-demand scUber rides, giving visitors and locals the opportunity to book this exclusive experience through the Uber app from 9-18 June departing from Cairns, Port Douglas or Palm Cove.
“We couldn’t be happier with the results this campaign has achieved so far and look forward to it continuing to be a success.”
Uber’s Regional General Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Susan Anderson, said the positive response to the launch of scUber has been incredible and is proof that global audiences are still in awe of this natural world wonder.
“The focus of Uber’s partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland is to showcase to the world the wonder and beauty that exists on the Great Barrier Reef through this unique form of movement,” Ms Anderson said.
“We’re thrilled to bring scUber to Tropical North Queensland to give riders the opportunity to see a different part of the reef.
“The scUber submarine will continue to collect data to support reef research and monitoring for Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef over the next two weeks.
“The sustainable protection of the Great Barrier Reef is of global importance and we hope with the launch of scUber, people from all over the world will be inspired to also help protect it.”
Local tourism operators Quicksilver Cruises, Nautilus Aviation and Riley, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort, are supporting the campaign in partnership with TEQ and Uber.
