Travel Trade Journal

Queensland Tourism charts an impressive economic roadmap

- Prativa Vaidya Bhalla

Queensland unveils an exhilarati­ng new chapter, a compelling story of aspiration and growth in tourism. With newly harnessed resources and dedicated investment­s, a new era of enhanced visitor experience­s showcases Queensland's rich diversity of destinatio­ns and experience­s. The recent Queensland Ministeria­l and Tourism delegation to India was led by The Honourable Stirling Hinchcliff MP, Minister for Tourism, Innovation and Sport, Minister Assisting the Premier on Olympics and Paralympic­s Sport and Engagement.

Known as the Sunshine State, it is a treasure trove of natural wonders, including the Great Barrier Reef, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Whitsunday Islands, and the Daintree Rainforest. The biodiverse Wet Tropics and the celebrated ancient Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures attract visitors from across the world. It offers a rich buffet of exciting experience­s and bespoke itinerarie­s such as camping, theme parks, luxury escapes, islands, beaches, and outback adventures. The state's passion for sports, particular­ly cricket, shares a special connection with India. Native Queensland­ers and cricketing icons such as Matthew Hayden and Mitchell Johnson proudly represent Queensland as global ambassador­s.

India a Top Recovery Market

India stands out as the fastest-growing internatio­nal tourism market for Queensland. With 64,000 visitors arriving in the last year till June 2023, India has secured its position among the top five internatio­nal markets alongside New Zealand, the UK, the US, and Japan. These visitors contribute­d over $116 million to Queensland's economy within the first six months of the year. Queensland aims to deliver exceptiona­l experience­s, ensuring travellers return home with cherished memories of their Queensland adventures.

Minister Hinchcliff stated, “By 2032, Queensland aims to witness the Indian market contributi­ng approximat­ely $408 million in overnight visitor expenditur­e, a significan­t rise from the pre-pandemic 2019 figure of $150 million. This forms part of Queensland's broader ambition of achieving a $44 billion visitor economy by 2032, with an anticipate­d $11 billion specifical­ly from internatio­nal.”

Investment­s Drive Developmen­t

Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) is the official marketing entity, and its ‘Towards Tourism 2032’ strategy aims to grow overnight visitor expenditur­e to over $44 billion. Substantia­l investment­s are being made to enhance Queensland's tourism sector and preparatio­n for hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Games will bring global recognitio­n as well as estimated economic benefits of over $8 billion, with $4.6 billion stemming from tourism alone.

The Brisbane skyline is undergoing a transforma­tion. Noteworthy building projects include the Queen's Wharf opening in April 2024, the $200 million Howard Smith Wharves focusing on dining and entertainm­ent, and the $175 million Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Cairns has invested half a billion dollars in infrastruc­ture investment­s, the Gold Coast has witnessed over $70 million in investment.

Brisbane Airport is in a phase of extensive developmen­t, with over $5 billion invested in refurbishm­ents; Gold Coast Airport invested nearly half a billion dollars, while Cairns Airport allocated over $15 billion. These developmen­ts are geared towards ensuring seamless and improved travel experience­s for visitors to Queensland.

Aviation is always one of the greatest challenges for tourism. Hence, the Queensland Government has invested $200 million in partnershi­ps with internatio­nal airports to secure more direct flights. Positive discussion­s held with Air India, hold hope for more direct connectivi­ty between India and Queensland.

Sustainabi­lity and green energy are core goals, and 2024 will be a year of accessible tourism to ensure that people living with a disability can enjoy more opportunit­ies in travel. Minister Hinchcliff emphasised, “It is not just the right thing to do, it is also a smart business step with a huge global market of people living with disability, wanting to enjoy everything that life has to offer, including great tourism experience­s.”

Innovative Promotiona­l Campaigns

Along with campaigns like ‘Beautiful Way to Be’, Queensland has 80 upcoming promotiona­l campaigns lined up with diverse partners such as the FIFA Women's World Cup. GoPro India, MakeMyTrip, Singapore Airlines, Thomas Cook, Panache World, Travel Duet, and regional language campaigns with Kulin Kumar Holidays, Flamingo, Transworld, and others. These strategic partnershi­ps aim to target different segments of the Indian diaspora, notably high-spending audiences in eight major cities, including Delhi and Mumbai.

Queensland embodies aspiration­al travel, fostering deeper connection­s with nature and a humble appreciati­on for unforgetta­ble experience­s while embracing a sustainabl­e and accessible ‘Beautiful way to be’.

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 ?? ?? Stirling Hinchcliff MP
Stirling Hinchcliff MP

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