Ms Bligh said the summit, to be held on Wednesday 25 November, is vital to ensuring Queensland’s tourism industry can continue to grow as a major economic driver for the State.
“The fact that Queensland has such a big tourism industry means it is more vulnerable to tough economic conditions,” Ms Bligh said.
“With increasing pressure on the tourism industry, it is essential we have all hands on deck to come up with new ideas, innovative strategies and real solutions for the industry.
“More than 200,000 people are directly and indirectly employed by tourism in Queensland, with 90% in small to medium size family businesses.
“Last year alone the industry pumped almost $9 billion into our State’s economy.
“But the current economic climate is taking its toll, and the recent rise in the value of the Australian dollar is also making it harder for Queensland to attract tourists in this highly competitive global market.
“With the local economies of many Queensland regions relying heavily on tourism, it is essential that government works closely with those regions, to ensure that we are investing appropriately, to get the most bang for our buck and secure more Queensland jobs.
“This month’s Tourism Jobs Summit will allow us to hear directly from local tourism operators and other industry leaders, to determine the best way to spend tourism funding to secure their industry.”
Ms Bligh said she is eager to work with all levels of government to ensure Queensland’s vital tourism industry has the support it needs.
“While the Queensland Government has committed additional money and resources to the local tourism industry I would still like to see more federal government support,” she said.
“While I understand the necessity of the significant financial assistance packages which have been delivered to secure employment in motor vehicle industries in southern states, it’s time this sort of federal assistance was replicated for the tourism industry in Queensland.
“Our tourism industry employs even more people than car manufacturing and is crucial to both the Queensland and Australian economies.
“We must do everything we can to ensure tourists keep coming to Queensland.”
Ms Bligh said the Queensland Government committed at the March election to investing an extra $36 million in generating employment opportunities in the tourism sector.
“Since we made this commitment, extensive consultation has taken place with national and state industry leaders to determine where we need to be directing our tourism resources and money during these very challenging times,” Ms Bligh said.
“We have already implemented a number of initiatives. We have recently launched two new campaigns to attract interstate and international visitors, and last month I announced the appointment of a Tourism Queensland representative in the Middle East to maximise sales activity for our State from the busy emerging Middle Eastern market.
“Now we want to hone in on the key initiatives for the future, by finalising our 3 year Tourism Strategy with the help of industry leaders.”
Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor said the tough tourism environment warranted a tough approach.
“The past two years have dealt blow after blow for the tourism industry with extreme weather conditions, airline cuts and the global financial crisis taking its toll,” Mr Lawlor said.
“Now the strength of the Australian dollar is putting more stress on our tourism industry with international tourists choosing cheaper short haul destinations while domestic tourists are being offered heavily discounted international airfares and packages.
“The State Government has delivered for tourism, building more than $1.5billion in tourism infrastructure and now increasing industry funding for marketing, job creation and investment attraction.
“The best solutions for the future will be those developed with government and industry working together.
“I want to hear from those operators on the ground about what’s happening and what they think will help – together we can keep Queenslanders employed in tourism,” he said.
The State Government has committed more than $36 million extra over the next three years to building on the existing $48 million 10-year Queensland Tourism Strategy released in 2006.
