26 Jul 2022
While Australia continues to emerge from the impacts of COVID 19, some Aussies are willing to travel overseas, but others are less comfortable doing so, with many Australians deciding to stay at home to discover their very own vast and great country, what the founder of BookitDoit, Mark Ennor calls “the hidden Australia”, with as a result, domestic Australian travel booming!
But, how do Aussies discover that “hidden Australia” or even some might say the “real Australia”, not the over commercial, usual honeypot tourist attractions, but real, authentic Aussie experiences, ones off the beaten track in regions of Australia, which until now, many Aussie travellers have never been able to discover, see and experience.
Well, here's the story of a regional tourism warrior that is every Aussie's and international traveller's answer to discovering that “hidden Australia”, with Mark Ennor, the founder of BookitDoit, that warrior, who shortly after the buzz of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, packed up his city life, taking off for an ultimate “tree change”, moving to a secluded, peaceful, off the beaten track 400 acre valley in the hinterland of Port Macquarie in Northern New South Wales, to start up an adventure tourism business rekindling one of his passions, horses.
With Mark having worked in 5 start hotels in Australia and Asia, his experience tour guiding with Japanese tourists and sales in the e-commerce and IT industry, and his extensive experience in working with people, helped him create a multi award winning regional tourism operation, with over the next 20 years Bellrowan Valley Horse Riding became one of the leading adventure tourism businesses in the country, with over a hundred horses and recognised for incredible “hidden Australia” experiences and also for doing so safely, with Mark's extensive experience, marketing and innovation.
All these years didn't go without its challenges with apart from the trials of living on the land, marketing and exposure for a small business in a regional area was expensive and a constant struggle. Seven years into running his business Mark's frustration was growing, not only for his own business, but for many other smaller tourism operators who couldn't afford to advertise in all tourist publications or sites or be recognised by local govt tourism marketing initiatives because of the cost of memberships and buy-in, as local and regional tourism organisations only promote members that have paid often hefty fees to join and the more fees to be promoted!
Mark realised only larger operators could afford the advertising to get into the spotlight, with this obviously very unfair to many smaller operators, but also for visitors to regions desperately trying to find all there is to do.
So, Mark took it upon himself to change things in his region, with in 2008 he gathered a bunch of local tourism operators together for a chat and brainstorm as Mark was determined to level the playing field, giving ALL operators the opportunity to advertise equally regardless of the size of operation, with 52+ Things to do in Greater Port Macquarie born, a collective marketing initiative.
It ran for 13 years and was a major success in creating awareness with locals and visitors alike, with over those years Mark's passion and dedication to his mission only became stronger. So, when the devastating prolonged drought and bush fires of 2018/19 forced a decision to move on from Bellrowan Valley, he wasn't ready to move on from fighting for regional tourism operators, as he knew it wasn't just Greater Port Macquarie that needed a level playing field, it was all regions in Australia.
So, Mark created BookitDoit, using his experience of 52+ Things to do, with BookitDoit's aim being to create awareness nationally, giving ALL Aussie tourism operators a real “fair go” and the opportunity to be easily found among the already heavily supported major cities and tourism honeypots of Australia, revealing to Australian and international travellers, the incredible experiences to be found in “the hidden Australia”.
The key about BookitDoit is that it only promotes regional areas and unique/authentic tourism product, making marketing businesses affordable, delivering free listings for operators and a low and equal commission rate for all listings, while also delivering to travellers, digital itineraries simplifying the travel experience.
Mark and his colleagues have been hard at work over the last year and more, even during the impact of COVID 19, having soft launched BookitDoit on line and it is up and working at www.bookitdoit.com.auand also preparing for the hard launch, while also securing a major strategic partner, Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), with BookitDoit campaigns set to be run through their radio networks, Triple M and Hit with a weekly podcast by BookitDoit to showcase the many wonderful tours and attractions off the beaten track!
Of course, to launch such a business takes substantial funds and a range of passionate investors and family have already backed Mark and BookitDoit, but to raise the funds to launch BookitDoit on the scale envisaged, an Equity Crowd Funding campaign through market leaders OnMarket https://www.onmarket.com.au/offers/bookitdoit is currently underway giving everyone the chance to support a company that is supporting regional communities and economies.
Mark says while of course larger investors are being sought, in the true “fair go” ethos of BookitDoit, investing from just a minimum of $300 buys shares in BookitDoit Pty Ltd, with all money being spent on triggering growth strategies, which will be changing the landscape of regional tourism in Australia, literally putting previously little known areas and tourism operators on the map!
Without any doubt, BookitDoit has been born from the genuine experience of a hands on regional tour operator and is being driven with the passion and dedication of a man who has become a regional tourism “fair go” warrior, a man on a mission, with more than ever before regional Australian travel back on Australian and international travellers' radar, with BookitDoit here to provide the platform for it and how Aussies and international travellers can discover the “hidden Australia”!
Information
Equity Crowdfunding Offer: https://www.onmarket.com.au/offers/bookitdoit
Email: mark@bookitdoit.com.au
Mob: 0414 595 180
Socials: @bookitdoit @bookitdoitau #bookitdoit
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