“It’s another blow to an industry already reeling from 6 months of devastation. The continual uncertainty of the way out of this crisis is the most concerning. It is impossible to plan for the future with any confidence.
“It highlights the desperate need for government and stakeholders to map out a way to navigate the continued health challenge to allow us to get on with our lives.
“We certainly accept that we have to avoid a scenario like what is playing out in Victoria at the moment but we still need to figure out the most effective way to respond to new cases and possible clusters of infections,” Mr Gschwind said.
Interstate tourism contributed $9.2 billion to the Queensland economy last year, incomes for 240,000 employees and tens of thousands of business in every part of Queensland.
With the focus now on domestic tourism, safety still remains a top priority for Queensland tourism operators who are committed to delivering best practice when it comes to the health and well-being of customers.
Mr Gschwind added, “The tourism industry continues to be diligent in complying to COVID Safe rules and implementing the highest standards to reassure consumers”.
Tourism and hospitality operators are encouraged to implement a COVID Safe plan, using resources developed in partnership with the Queensland Government and stakeholders, if they haven’t already. They are also encouraged to utilise the free tools available, such as the COVID Clean Practicing Business Module in the Quality Tourism Framework platform to ensure all requirements are adhered to.
