Urban List has today launched a new tourism initiative — 20 For 20 — engaging Queenslanders in support of the state’s tourism recovery by pledging to spend at 20 Queensland-owned small businesses in 2020.

With two in three Australians planning to road trip more frequently than they did pre-pandemic* and intrastate tourism a critical component of the State’s recovery, Urban List developed a concept designed to transform this intent into action, arming Queenslanders with tailored itineraries on where and what to eat, see, do and stay; making it easy to plan a purposeful and impactful getaway.

A Queensland-founded start-up, Urban List developed the in partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) in response to significant declines in visitation following recent crises.

TEQ Chief Executive Officer Leanne Coddington said this initiative would encourage visitation, reminding locals and visitors of the amazing experiences on offer.

“The 20 For 20 initiative is a great way to encourage people to explore their own backyard, injecting much-needed tourism dollars and optimism into the local economy which has been significantly impacted this year,” Ms Coddington said.

“Queensland is a world-class travel destination. We are lucky to have globally iconic experiences right on our doorstep — everything from great surf breaks and the beach lifestyle, the stunning diversity of the reef and islands, cooking classes and dining on fresh local produce, visiting wineries and staying at romantic countryside retreats, immersing in Australia’s ancient culture, meeting the characters of Outback Queensland and learning about our history, providing visitors memorable holiday experiences.”

As a Queenslander herself, Urban List founder and CEO, Susannah George, feels a sense of both duty and pride to be bringing the 20 For 20 initiative to life, a platform she predicts will fuel thousands to explore the state’s diverse regions.

“20 For 20 is about capturing the best of Queensland — the incredible scenery of our regions and the fierce community spirit core to our identity — bringing both together in support of our State’s tourism operators and small businesses”, she said.

“We’ve worked together with tourism bodies on the Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Southern Downs and Scenic Rim to develop tailored itineraries that will cover where and what to eat, see, do and stay to maximise your impact.

“We feel so strongly about the initiative and partnership that we’ve actually given all Urban List team members extra annual leave this year, encouraging them to get on the road and live out the 20 For 20 pledge themselves. We all need to play our part in the recovery process and we will be doing everything we can to inject both spend and optimism into our local economy.”