Students from The University of Queensland are working with Ipswich City Council and local operators to investigate ways in which the tourism experience in the Ipswich region can be enhanced as part of the School of Tourism's Regional Internship Project (TRIP).
Students from the school will spend 10 days in Ipswich conducting visitor surveys, which will be analysed to improve the destination experience.
A visit on Friday will give the students a taste of the region ahead of an extended stay from September 25 to October 4.
School of Tourism head Professor Roy Ballantyne said it was important to give students access to practical situations through a program that also delivered real benefits for the regions involved.
"The School prides itself on its proactive involvement with industry and we deliver a range of innovative work-integrated learning opportunities for our students," Professor Ballantyne said.
"It is crucial to provide opportunities for the exchange of knowledge between industry and the university."
Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said the program would add a new dimension to tourism in the city, with students working with operators such as The Workshops Rail Museum and the Ipswich Visitor Information Centre.
Ipswich City Council Tourism Development Manager Janet Hewitt said tourism in Ipswich was an important contributor not only economically, but also socially.
"We are keen to continue to develop the tourism industry and reap the benefits of tourism's multiplier effect throughout our community," Ms Hewitt said.
She said the School of Tourism survey would examine visitor satisfaction with the City of Ipswich as a destination.
"We will find out what expectations visitors have when coming to the destination and how well these expectations are fulfilled - and exceeded," Ms Hewitt said.
"The focus of the survey extends the 'fulfilment of expectations' from the experience that the visitor has during the tourism experience through to the quality of the experience the visitor has while in the destination - whether buying petrol, groceries or a newspaper, staying at a hotel, visiting a local attraction or having a bite to eat. Tourism is everybody's business."
Media: Jodie Powell (0409 946 796).
