Saturday, 2 June 2018

Agnes Water and Town of 1770 in Queensland named Australia’s First Cryptocurrency Friendly Tourist Town

International and interstate travellers have arrived in the Town of 1770 in Queensland today, to officially tour Australia’s very first digital currency friendly destination, and they are paying for the entire trip using one of the top 10 digital currencies in the world, XEM.

TravelbyBit, an Australian technology company that enables local businesses to access a new customer base through accepting digital currency via an online POS (Point-of-Sale) system, have closely worked with merchants in 1770 and Agnes Water to establish the town as the first tourist location in Queensland to accept different digital currencies, including Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash and XEM.

TravelbyBit CEO Caleb Yeoh partnered with Gordon Christian, a local business owner to set up over 30 merchants to start accepting digital currencies from their clients, especially those thousands of visitors that enjoy the area each year. Gordon fully supports this move and believes it will attract more travellers to the town.

“When I found out about the POS system accepting Bitcoin, I thought about the benefit it would bring to the township through tourism and the overall economy.

“I jumped at the chance to get involved because we need new innovation to help boost local businesses,” Mr Christian said.

Discovery Coast Tourism & Commerce President, Amber Rodgers, is liaising with this first group of digital travellers as they explore the beachside paradise in Queensland’s Gladstone region, showcasing the landscape, unique tours and local gastronomic delights.

“We are delighted to host these international visitors and support the innovation of local businesses offering digital currency payment options.

“If global travelers are willing to use their digital currency and visit our area, then local tourism operators who are enabled to accept this new payment type have a competitive edge and ideally they will receive long-term benefits,” Mrs Rodgers said.

Mr Yeoh says the blockchain technology which underpins digital currency payments is very new. Whilst most other countries are still trying to work it out, Australia is forging ahead with this real-world use case in the tourism sector.

“TravelbyBit is revolutionising how people travel globally. No bank fees, no hassle with multiple exchanges rates and no risk of credit card fraud.” Mr Yeoh says.

Since inception, TravelByBit’s innovative POS is now available in over 150 stores across Australia including stores in Brisbane Airport where live transactions can be viewed on www.flybybit.com.

1770’s move to accept digital currencies is paying off, already attracting a group of international and interstate digital tourists who are keen to visit the town just because it takes the new payment method.

Jason Lee, Expansion Director, Australia and New Zealand, for the NEM.io Foundation, a not for profit organisation focused on educating individuals and businesses about the benefits of blockchain technology, says the tour group chose to visit 1770 because of its unique location and ability to pay for the whole trip in XEM. XEM is a digital currency backed by the Foundation.

“The tourists from Japan and Vietnam heard about the Australian town accepting digital currencies after looking at 1770 on Google. They got excited about the concept and booked the trip straight away.

“Naming the Town of 1770 as a cryptocurrency friendly city is proof point to how digital currencies such as XEM are increasingly becoming mainstream, and this is very exciting for us because that is what we striving to achieve as an organisation and industry.”

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACTS

• TravelbyBit – 0430 484 025, 0433 938 882
• NEM Foundation –  0434 131 579
• Discovery Coast Tourism & Commerce – 0409 983 702
• Business Owner, Gordon Christian – 0417 206 500