A novel way to promote tourism

Seems the Queensland Minister of Tourism has some novel ideas about how to get visitors to come to her State.

Bikini girls and beach boys have taken to the streets of Sydney and Melbourne in a unique marketing pitch to promote Queensland holidays.

Queensland Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said male and female "flashers" would be positioned around the cities for the next month trying to convince southerners to leave the cold and visit the Sunshine State on their next getaway.

"They've come up with a particular gimmick this time and in Sydney and in Melbourne today we have flashers, as it were," Ms Boyle told reporters in Brisbane.

"(There are) people in overcoats in that weather who, when they open their overcoat, have all sorts of signs about coming to Queensland for a holiday and are wearing bikinis."

Not a bad idea, I guess . . . but why not make it a real challenge? Send the bikini-clad flashers someplace truly cold, to highlight the difference. (I note that a Colorado resort is reopening its ski slopes this coming weekend - that'll do.) I daresay the flashers' goose-pimples will reinforce their message!

Peter