Queensland Government loses another senior tourism executive

Ongoing changes among senior staff at Queensland's events, sport and tourism agencies since the election of the current Government in March have now seen the resignation of Anthony Hayes from the role of Chief Executive of Tourism Queensland.

The resignation of Hayes, who created 'the best job in the world campaign', follows the departure of Tourism Queensland and Events Queensland Chairs Don Morris and Geoff Dixon.

Events Queensland Chief Executive John O'Sullivan also recently resigned to take up the role of Chief Operating Officer at Sydney-based Fox Sports while Mark Stockwell was replaced as Chairman of the Gold Coast 2012 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee shortly after the change of Government.

Each of the executives and their agencies are the responsibility of Queensland Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games, Jann Stuckey. In oppostion, Stuckey and the Queensland Liberal National party was highly critical of the former Labor Government's tourism performance.

The Australian has reported Queensland government sources as claiming there had been a series of clashes between Minister Stuckey and her staff as well as with some of Queensland's senior bureaucrats.

The newspaper added that Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has put Minister Stuckey "on notice" after alleged internal clashes with staff and some of the State's most senior bureaucrats.

The changes will leave Stephen Gregg, the newly appointed Chair of both Events Queensland and Tourism Queensland, with an inexperienced board and management team.

However, Gregg, who has extensive tourism experience having been a former Chief Executive is seen as being capable of managing a new approach to events and tourism in Queensland, albeit with a reduced budget.

Queensland Tourism Industry Council Chief Executive Daniel Gschwind said the sudden departure was an evolution for the body, telling The Australian "I assume it's about a process of renewal. Sometimes terms come to an end. It can't be seen as a negative reflection on him."

In recent weeks, Hayes had been highlighting that despite a challenging couple of years for Queensland's $18 billion tourism industry, confidence in the industry's future was high, a fact testified to by a range of tourism developments and refurbishments and new airline routes and capacity.

Hayes explained "over the past two years, for example billions of dollars have been invested on the Gold Coast, including the new Hilton Surfers Paradise, Sea Temple Surfers Paradise, Peppers Broadbeach and QT Resort, and multi-million dollar upgrades to the Marriott, Sheraton Mirage and Paradise Resorts.

"In the Whitsundays Hayman Island reopened last August following a multi-million dollar refurbishment and Lindeman Island was purchased earlier this year by a Chinese media group and is currently undergoing a major upgrade.

"In the Tropical North Orpheus Island re-opened last October following a multi-million dollar upgrade and Dunk and Bedarra Islands are currently being rebuilt following Cyclone Yasi.

"In the Cairns and Port Douglas region, millions of dollars have injected into a range of tourism products, including a $5 million upgrade of Silky Oaks Lodge; $6 million to transform the former Rydges Port Douglas into QT Resorts' second Queensland property; $10 million on upgrades to the Cairns Hilton and Holiday Inn and $20 million for Ports North's redevelopment of the Cairns Cruise Ship Terminal.

"An additional $25 million is about to be spent by the Shangri-lato upgrade the hotel and Cairns Pier precinct, while Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park has slated $10 million for capital investment.

"The CaPTA Group is about to redevelop a new adventure product at the Rainforest Dome at the Pullman Reef Hotel and Casino and the $20 million Mossman Gorge Gateway Centre is due to open this week."

"The Queensland Government has named tourism as one of the four pillars of the state's economy and the Great Keppel Island development, should it gain final approval, will be another plank in our fantastic tourism product and experiences and will createhundreds of new jobs."

"When you look at all of the activity and investment happening across Queensland it's easy to see that our tourism industry has a great sense of optimism and confidence for the future."

13th July 2012 - STEPHEN GREGG TO CHAIR TOURISM QUEENSLAND

7th May 2012 - QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT DUMPS COMMONWEALTH GAMES HEAD STOCKWELL