Differing views on Queensland's tourism performance

Newly released figurers from Tourism Research Australia (TRA) show that international visitors spent a record $4.1 billion in Queensland in the year to September.

Queensland’s Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games, Jann Stuckey, said that the TRA’s latest International Visitor Survey revealed another year of solid growth for Queensland’s tourism industry.

Minister Stuckey explained “in the year to September 2014, Queensland welcomed 2.1 million international travellers.

“The record spend by these visitors does not just benefit tourism operators but the hundreds of thousands of small businesses which underpin the state’s economy.”

However, Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) Chief Executive Margy Osmond has presented a different analysis of Queensland's tourism performance, pointing out that Queensland had “fared poorly on international visitor nights, where there has been no growth, and on expenditure, which rose just 3% to return the lowest growth of any state or territory."

Osmond suggested "this calls into question the Queensland Government’s decision to cut marketing funding which will see the state lose further ground to other destinations within Australia and around the world

“With the Queensland election coming up in the first half of next year, we are urging all parties to ensure tourism is treated as an economic development and employment growth strategy.

Osmond highlighted that tourism already supported more than 240,000 jobs across Queensland “and could employ tens of thousands more with the right policy frameworks to support private sector investment and additional marketing funding from government.”

Minister Stuckey retorted that Queensland had seen strong growth from a number of key international markets, led by India with 46,000 travellers, an increase of 26%, adding “additionally, international travel grew strongly from Malaysia (up 18% to 48,000), Canada (up 16% to 55,000), Hong Kong (up 15% to 51,000) and Germany (up 10% to 78,000).”

Minister Stuckey said visitor expenditure also rose from a number of markets including Japan (up 14% to $318 million), New Zealand (up 6% to $519 million) and the UK (up 3% to $436 million).

She added "Destination Success, Queensland’s 20-year plan for tourism, outlined the need to target a balanced portfolio of international markets

“Landmark initiatives such as the $6 million Flight Centre marketing partnership and the Queensland Government’s Greater China Marketing Campaign are helping to boost tourism across the state and this government is committed to doing more to see the momentum continue."

With thanks to Peter Needham, eGlobal

2nd November 2014 - TOURISM RESEARCH AUSTRALIA REPORT INCLUDES ‘MISLEADING’ DATA ON TASMANIA

30th October 2014 - ASIAN VISITORS BOOST AUSTRALIAN INBOUND TOURISM

5th June 2014 - TOURISM MONIES CUT AS QUEENSLAND BUDGET’S LEISURE FUNDING FOCUSES ON COMMONWEALTH GAMES