FNQ MUST STAND TOGETHER
Premier warns about tourism levy campaign
QUEENSLAND Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is advising Far Northern business leaders that everyone must be united about a proposed tourism levy for it to succeed.
The Cairns TNQ Convoy to Capital Q discussed a 2.5 per cent visitor tax or $10 million a year from the government to market the region with the Premier this week.
But she says, unless all stakeholders come to the party, it will not receive government backing.
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has shone a light on hurdles still blocking visitor levy legislation after two days of lobbying from Far North business leaders in Brisbane.
The Cairns TNQ Convoy to Capital Q drove a hard bargain for either a 2.5 per cent visitor levy or a recurrent funding boost of at least $10 million per year for destination marketing.
A lot of work needs to be done before either side of politics will touch the levy – and a funding increase is by no means guaranteed.
A spokeswoman from the Premier’s office told the Cairns
Post the government was always happy to discuss ways to grow tourism but achieving unity would be key.
“I understand Minister (Kate) Jones has recently said that she would welcome a submission about how a tourism levy could be developed, but any submission needs to show a unified position from the whole of the industry,” she said.
“It’s important to remember this is a complex issue – with many stakeholders against a levy being introduced.”
Some of the industry have gradually come to the table in Cairns but the state’s hotel sector at large remains opposed.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive
Mark Olsen argued tourism’s current troubles might provide a wake-up call about the importance of boosting destination marketing.
It remains to be seen whether the wider industry will follow Crystalbrook Collection’s suit and come around to the idea.
“We can’t afford to continue doing what we are doing in terms of the small amount of destination awareness that we can generate,” Mr Olsen said.
“Everyone needs to look at the size of the opportunity and what is required to make the most of that.”
Mr Olsen believed the region was looking at a $2.4 billion growth opportunity that could increase annual tourism spending to $6 billion by 2030.
“But to get there, we need to claw back the market share we’ve lost over the last decade,” he said.
“That requires consistent increases in investment in destination marketing and the industry will need to come on board.”
Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington made it clear she would not support the measure.
She argued businesses could not have confidence in any government that habitually shifted the goalposts.
“I have stated no new taxes for a reason,” she said.
“We need to give businesses certainty that governments are not going to continually change regulations and keep taxing them.”
Airbnb has backed a bed levy but Australian holiday rental website Stayz director of corporate affairs Eacham Curry has argued it would be the wrong model.
“While Stayz understands the legitimate resourcing pressures on council as tourism continues to drive economic growth in the region, it’s our view that localised levies or taxes will drive up the cost of holiday accommodation and send valuable tourism dollars to other parts of Queensland,” he told the Cairns Post.