NOW that Queenslanders can enjoy Queensland again, the Balonne Shire is asking its residents to be ‘Welcome Ambassadors’, as they launch a tourism campaign post COVID shutdowns.

Balonne Shire mayor Samantha O’Toole said ‘Welcome to Our Place’ follows on from the hugely successful ‘Welcome Mate’ campaign that brought the community together to create the St George Matesong, which went viral.

“‘Welcome to Our Place’ builds on that ethos of friendship, loyalty and collaboration by employing people power to rebuild our tourism industry,” she said.

“We have created a new promotional trailer to set the scene for us to tell seven stories, from our seven towns, over seven weeks, to showcase our river town region through local eyes.

“The mini videos are the bush version of a short story series, and will be released on our St George and Surrounds Facebook page.”

Cr O’Toole encouraged local businesses and the community to use the new ‘Welcome to Our Place’ toolkit with logos, email signature and website tile, to spread the word that the Balonne Shire is ready to welcome visitors back.

“Now Queenslanders can enjoy Queensland, we are asking everyone to invite their family and friends for a visit,” she said.

“Organise a family reunion, be a tourist guide for friends, or enjoy a staycation and visit other towns.

“Let’s light up social media with our photo of visiting each other in our towns. Our smiling faces and warm community spirit are what will sell the Balonne Shire as an amazing holiday destination.”

A Facebook group has been opened up for locals to post photos of the places they love in the shire, to create a virtual exhibition of the river town region.

“It’s time to put a buzz down our main streets again and welcome visitors to ‘Our Place’ for the holiday of a lifetime,” Cr O’Toole said.