Australian Escapes Marketing

Australian Escapes was started by John Greenbury in 2001 in Brisbane. The first resort we promoted was Rydges Oasis Resort at Caloundra on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. We opened the Gold Coast office in 2002 and in 2005 moved all of our operations there. Darren Gilbert is managing director and John Greenbury is fully involved as an associate director and looks after business development. Australian Escapes didn't invent the concept of discount package marketing for resorts but we did a lot to professionalize the industry and we introduced some marketing concepts that have become standard practice. We started the first non-time-share holiday club in Australia in 2002 to provide members with access to a wider range of discounted resort options. In 2014 we commenced operations as a full-service travel agency offering members access to significant discounts off international travel including cruises and tours. Today the company employs over 40 people in sales, member services and administration.