Millions of Canadian country music fans are discovering Tropical North Queensland this week through Rockies to the Reef, a new promotion celebrating the region’s growing ties with Canada’s country music scene.
Developed by Tourism Tropical North Queensland in partnership with Skysong Records, Savannah in the Round, Fiji Airways and Canada’s iHeartRadio, the two-week initiative showcases the destination while giving Canadians the chance to experience Savannah in the Round firsthand.
The campaign will build on the festival’s growing relationship with Canadian artists, with fan favourites The Road Hammers returning this October alongside fellow Canadian country star Dan Davidson.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland General Manager Marketing Lani Cooper said Rockies to the Reef would introduce Tropical North Queensland to Canada’s country music fans.
“Targeting Canada’s iHeartRadio 1.8 million users, the competition will highlight the Fiji Airways connection from Vancouver to Cairns (and Los Angeles), making our destination more accessible to North America,” she said.
“Savannah in the Round has grown into one of Tropical North Queensland’s signature events, attracting visitors from across Australia and delivering significant economic benefits for the region.
“This campaign is a natural next step in showcasing the festival to an international audience and encouraging more Canadians to experience it firsthand.
“Canadians will appreciate the spectacular and diverse landscapes of Tropical North Queensland, with the Great Barrier Reef, Wet Tropics rainforest and accessible Outback offering a striking contrast to their own natural environment.
“We invite them to enjoy popular Canadian artists at Savannah in the Round and explore the only place where two natural World Heritage areas meet.”
Running until 3 August, the campaign is being delivered across Canada’s iHeartRadio and Pure Country networks.
It is expected to generate more than $200,000 in media value, while delivering an estimated six million radio impressions and up to 700,000 digital impressions across Canada.
As part of the campaign, two Canadians will win the ultimate Tropical North Queensland adventure, including return flights, accommodation, Great Barrier Reef and rainforest experiences, VIP passes to Savannah in the Round and an exclusive meet and greet with The Road Hammers and Dan Davidson.
James Dein, festival director and chief executive officer of Sound Australia, said the campaign would give Canadian audiences the opportunity to experience one of Australia’s most spectacular destinations alongside a home-grown authentic country music festival.
“We have built strong relationships with Canadian artists over the years, and this partnership is a natural extension of that.
“It creates opportunities not only to welcome more Canadian visitors to Tropical North Queensland, but also to strengthen connections between artists, festivals and audiences in both countries.”
Beyond the competition, the partnership has a longer-term vision of developing reciprocal artist exchanges and festival collaborations between Canada and Tropical North Queensland from 2027, creating new opportunities for artists while strengthening tourism links between the two regions.
