If Queensland being “beautiful one day, perfect the next” wasn’t enough of a draw card of a drawcard for visitors and industry alike, then the state government’s new $48 million Attracting Tourism Fund (ATF) is sure to do the job.
The ATF is part of the government’s election commitments for tourism and was announced in this year’s state budget.
Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said the ATF was designed to position Queensland as Australia’s leading leisure destination, with the aim of capitalizing on the record number of visitors coming to the Sunshine State.
“Our $25 billion tourism industry is the state’s third biggest export earner behind coal and food and one in eight businesses in the state are tourist-related,” she said.
“This fund – part of our record $180 million investment in tourism industry development in the 2018-19 Budget – will support the industry to push into new markets to provide game-changing attractions in our state.
“This investment is about ensuring we take our tourism industry to the next level by creating new attractions and strengthening our airline partnerships in lucrative international markets.”
Queensland Tourism Industry Council Chief Executive Daniel Gschwind said the ATF would strengthen Queensland’s competitive edge in a tough, global market.
“The tourism world has become a more competitive place, and the skills and investment needed to effectively compete need to be world-class,” he said.
“This cash injection will support Queensland as a destination for years to come.”
A $10 million portion of the ATF had been earmarked for the Attracting Aviation Investment Fund to continue to grow strategic aviation services to Queensland.
The key ATF objectives are:
- Grow aviation access from priority source markets that offer long-term potential for Queensland through establishing new or expanding aviation services
- Facilitate the development of infrastructure and experiences that will attract, grow and sustain visitation from identified markets with flow-on economic benefits to Queensland’s visitor economy
- Facilitate planning improvement opportunities to enable tourism growth
PHOTO CREDIT: Tourism and Events Queensland
