Queensland regional directors who look after Queensland’s key international markets, including Japan,
the UK, New Zealand, North America, Europe, China, the Middle East, India and South-East Asia,
travelled to Cairns and the Gold Coast from around the world to update the local tourism industries on
the latest trends and issues affecting their markets.
From all reports, international travel in Queensland is looking up for 2010. The briefings give
Tropical North Queensland and Gold Coast tourism operators market intelligence on Queensland’s key
international tourism markets in 2010 straight from the horse’s mouth, effectively. There is a big year
ahead of us, coming out of the global financial crisis and on the back of positive aviation news for Cairns
and the Gold Coast in recent months. Feedback from our international markets is that things are looking
positive for 2010, with a gradual return of consumer confidence. Earlier this month AirAsia X increased
daily services between Kuala Lumpur and the Gold Coast. In addition, Tourism Queensland launched a
$400,000 international tourism marketing campaign in early February encouraging Kiwis to cross the
ditch. As part of the campaign this week, Tourism Queensland’s New Zealand office has been hosting
some of New Zealand’s top radio presenters on the Gold Coast showing them the sights, sounds and
exciting holiday experiences.
In the year to September 2009 the Gold Coast received 794,000 international visitors who spent
more than a billion dollars on their trips. Tropical North Queensland received 667,000 international
visitors who spent $919 million on their trips. Tourism is a major driver for the Tropical North and the
Gold Coast economies. It is most important, now more than ever, that our industry works together.
These market briefings are an important tool in enabling our operators to meet Tourism
Queensland’s international regional directors and help them gain vital market intelligence. I would like to
know what sort of intelligence there is in the LNP. They still have no policy on tourism. The only policy
they have is to cut $12 million from the QIIS program and cut 12,000 jobs, which would have an adverse
effect on various areas of the economy, including tourism.
