Tourism Research Australia shows Queensland continues to dominate the country’s holiday market

On this World Tourism Day, new data from Tourism Research Australia, shows Queensland continues to dominate the country’s holiday market.

The industry was worth a record $33.2 billion in overnight visitor spending in the year ending June 2023.

Figures show Queensland is Australia’s dominant holiday state, holding the majority share of the domestic holiday market, while also achieving record spend by domestic business travellers in the last financial year.

Queensland is also ahead of the national average in recovering international visitor expenditure.

In regional Queensland, where 76% of tourism dollars are spent, the industry employs as many as one in three Queenslanders.

This latest data shows Tropical North Queensland welcomed a record number of domestic visitors in the past year, as did the Gold Coast, while Mackay and Outback Queensland enjoyed record domestic visitor spending.

Townsville was a leader of the state’s international recovery, being the only region where visitation in the first half of 2023 exceeded pre-COVID-19 levels.

QLD Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe enthused “these terrific results show the continued hard work and commitment of Queensland tourism operators to build back better post-pandemic and shine on the national and international stage.

“What we’re seeing with overseas visitor spending puts the $200 million Attracting Aviation Investment Fund on track to generate $1.6 billion a year and 20,000 Queensland jobs. 

“World Tourism Day aligns perfectly with the Towards Tourism 2032 roadmap’s commitment to sustainability and growing Queensland First Nations’ cultural experiences.

“Through the Year of Accessible Tourism, we’re backing tourism operators to create opportunities for travellers of all-abilities to share more of Queensland’s great lifestyle.”

World Tourism Day 2023 focuses on tourism and green investments with Queensland’s Towards Tourism 2032 Strategy aiming to:

• Build sustainable and regenerative tourism practices that support community and value the contribution visitors make to their environment and lifestyle.

• Become a global leader in sustainable tourism and ecotourism experiences.

• Develop a clear industry pathway towards net zero emissions.

• Create a thriving nature-based tourism sector that balances development with environmental preservation, protection and interpretation.

Image. Credit: Tropical North Queensland