Brisbane 27 August 2013. Queensland’s tourism industry is rebounding, with strong growth in both domestic and international visitor numbers and expenditure over the past year.

Speaking at the second annual DestinationQ Forum being held on the Gold Coast, Premier Campbell Newman said growth in the sector was driven by the implementation of a 12 month action plan, collaboratively developed by industry and the government.

“Over the past 12 months we have seen some strong signs that the Queensland tourism industry is recovering from the impacts of the GFC and natural disasters and is now starting to see some real growth,” Mr Newman said.

“Not only has there been more visitors to Queensland, but they are spending more when they get here.

“One of the key growth drivers was a 12 Month Action Plan, which outlined 25 actions for government and industry to deliver.

“I am proud to say that we have delivered on all 25 commitments outlined in the Action Plan over the last 12 months.

“The purpose of the DestinationQ forum is to strengthen the partnership between government and industry to make Queensland the nation’s number one holiday destination.

“At last year’s inaugural DestinationQ Forum, we formalised our first partnership agreement with the Queensland Tourism Industry Council to deliver on a wide range of issues identified as being a priority for the industry.

“The next two days is about finalising the partnership agreement for the next 12 months.”

Minister for Tourism Jann Stuckey said she was proud of what the Newman Government and industry had collectively delivered through this partnership approach.

“The merger of the former Tourism Queensland and Events Queensland into Tourism and Events Queensland created a fresh and integrated approach to growing tourism and events in our state,” Ms Stuckey said.

“We facilitated $32.2 million in investment capital and provided assistance to 52 Queensland tourism investment projects.

“We worked to ensure that tourism is considered in land use planning for the first time.

“Funding for our Regional Tourism Organisations was increased by $7 million, which included $3.89 million in contestable grant funding.

“And this is only the beginning. With such a successful partnership in the first year, I am excited at the prospect of what we will achieve over the next 12 months.”

Queensland Tourism Industry Council Chief Executive, Daniel Gschwind, said under the Partnership Agreement signed at last year’s DestinationQ forum, government and industry set an ambitious, joint action agenda to improve operating conditions for tourism businesses.

“Through much goodwill and determination, significant reforms have been achieved and the groundwork has been set to drive tourism towards our growth targets,” Mr Gschwind said.

“With DestinationQ 2013 we need to accelerate our momentum, re-commit to our partnership and strive for change that will position the industry for the future.”

Find out more at www.destq.com.au/reports and follow DestinationQ on Facebook and Twitter (@DestinationQld).

Tourism Industry Statistics

In the year to March 2013:

• 7 per cent increase in domestic visitors
• 5 per cent increase in international visitors
• 2 per cent increase in domestic visitor expenditure
• 4 per cent increase in international visitor expenditure
• 6 per cent increase in Queenslanders holidaying locally, with day trips up 16 per cent
• 23 per cent growth in Chinese visitation.

Airport passenger number increases in year to 30 June 2013:

• Gold Coast Airport passenger numbers grew 9 per cent
• Cairns Airport passenger numbers grew 4.4 per cent
• Brisbane Airport passenger number grew 1.9 per cent

Key Government Initiatives

• An additional $35 million has been invested over the past two years in Tourism and Events Queensland
• Established the $8 million Attracting Aviation Investment Fund
• Doubling of funding provided to Regional Tourist Organisations (RTOs)