Tropical North QLD tourism revival supported by $15 million boost

The Australian Government’s $15 million International Tourism Recovery Program has boosted a resurgence in international visitors to Tropical North Queensland. The program has delivered 28 campaigns so far, generating bookings in the last financial year for 20,000 Chinese visitors, who it is estimated will inject $37 million into the local economy.

The second year of the $15 million program, which rolled out 1st July 2024, is expected to create even stronger demand for the world-class tourism experiences in the sunshine state's tropical north, including the Great Barrier Reef.

The return of Cathay Pacific flights between Hong Kong and Cairns from December through to March is projected to bring in up to 13,000 additional international visitors, who are projected to collectively spend an estimated $20 million in the region.

China was the region's largest international market before the pandemic, accounting for one in four international visitors and injecting more than $200 million a year into the regional economy.

Tropical North Queensland is one of Australia's tourism regions that is most economically dependent on international visitation.

The International Tourism Recovery Grant Program is providing Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) with grants worth up to a total of $15 million over three years, helping to bring more international visitors to Tropical North Queensland.

Mark Olsen, Chief Executive Tourism Tropical North Queensland noted "the support from the International Tourism Recovery Program has given the region a boost when it needed it most, as our international numbers have been slower to recover than the capital cities.

"China was our region's single biggest international market in 2019, one in three Chinese visitors to Queensland came to see Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. Rebuilding demand from China is vital with Cathay Pacific returning in December.

"The 28 trade campaigns have been supported by a coordinated approach, with a publicity push generating over $16.5 million. Roadshows are bringing our operators back into China as a region - bringing back key trade partners to experience Tropical North Queensland and all the great experiences here first-hand."