Tourism Teams come to Gympie!

Word is spreading far and wide that the Mary Valley Rattler is back on track as the iconic heritage rail experience celebrates welcoming thousands of passengers on board since commencement of operations in October 2018.
Mary Valley Rattler General Manager David Thompson is proud of the volunteer teams who work tirelessly to deliver this heritage experience to the ever-growing number of guests coming on board.
“The comments I am hearing as guests return to the Station after their journey is that they are loving the experience, the scenery and the connection with our local communities on the train and at the Stations.”

“We work closely with our tourism industry partners, many having firsthand experience since operations began. We have also welcomed many of the Visitor Information Volunteers on board from Destination Gympie Region, Visit Sunshine Coast, Tourism Noosa and Maleny Visitor Information Centre,” Mr. Thompson said.
The Mary Valley Rattler recently had the Tourism Noosa team on the train for an ‘On Board’ meeting.

Tourism Team

“It was great to get the team together and experience the Mary Valley Rattler. The day we were on the train it was full. It was wonderful to see so many people of all ages having such a great day out.” Tourism Noosa CEO Steve McPharlin said.

Simon Latchford, CEO of Visit Sunshine Coast (VSC) has enjoyed the journey several times, most recently with his family. “The return of the Mary Valley Rattler is once again one of the region’s peak attractions and has provided a massive boost for the region’s tourism industry and wider community. “The combination of the romance of steam trains and the beautiful countryside it passes through is an appealing experience for a broad cross section of visitors – including my own family.

“VSC has been pleased to spread the word about the Ratter with highlights including the coordination of live Sunrise weather crosses and media visits by outlets Australian Traveller Magazine and QWeekend Magazine. “The return has and will continue to be a great opportunity to increase the profile of the Mary Valley, which offers such a rich holiday experience with its tremendous range of adventure activities, heritage villages, high-quality food experiences and attractive accommodation.”

“We regularly bring media and tourism industry guests locally, nationally and internationally to enjoy the Mary Valley Rattler experience.” Mr. Latchford said.
“We will continue to share the story of all that our region has to offer from a tourism perspective. One of the key events from international buyers is being held in Perth in April of this year and supported by VSC, we will be there alongside Destination Gympie Region inviting visitors from all international destinations to come and explore our region and our wonderful heritage and natural assets.” Mr. Thompson said.