Brisbane chases Indians

THE Queensland Government has been advised to chase the Indian Millennial tourism market in the lead up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.

The recommendation is contained within a new expert panel report investigating ways to enhance the city’s tourism appeal over the next 10 years, with deepening travel ties with young Indian nationals viewed as a big opportunity to shape its future visitation strategy.

One of the reasons is the scale of the market, with India boasting a population of 1.3 billion people, 60% of whom are under 35.

The Olympic Games is seen as a way to continue to leverage South East Queensland’s growing reputation as a premier lifestyle destination for younger travellers, which the report suggests is growing at twice the OECD rate, and with further investment will continue to attract a growing number of “footloose young professionals who could work from anywhere in the world”.

To achieve the goal, the panel has recommended ongoing development of its night-time economy in and around Brisbane’s CBD.

Projects will include accelerating the delivery of urban amenity and mobility solutions, the promotion of more lifestyle assets, injecting more inclusivity and diversity into marketing collateral, reinforcing Brisbane as a global sports and events hub, and ensuring the Olympic Games will be a “climate-positive” event.

“Our hosting of Brisbane 2032 will accelerate urban transformation and position Queensland to compete in the events and tourism space on the global stage for decades to come,” the report declared.