While we are not out of the proverbial woods yet, we will certainly not remain in this challenging environment forever. Already we are seeing hope and renewal within our industry returning. The 2022 April - June quarterly results from the Queensland National Tourism Business Activity Survey demonstrate that, although working environments remain challenging for operators, optimism is returning on the back of high interstate and intrastate travel.
85.7 per cent of survey respondents cited that the interstate market segment was stronger when compared with the same April - June reporting period in 2021. In equally positive news, 57 per cent of businesses said they expect an increase in activity and stronger forward bookings over the coming 12 months. With roughly half of all respondents stating that they are planning more business investment in the coming year.
The rise in interstate travellers holidaying in our sunshine state was recently confirmed when new figures from Tourism Research Australia revealed Queensland as the nation’s tourism capital. In the year to March, it was reported that Queensland surpassed all other destinations in domestic visitor spending.
The encouraging figures highlighted that many of our regions have experienced a much-deserved windfall in visitor numbers, with the Scenic Rim, Gold Coast, and Southern Great Barrier Reef all reaping the benefits as holidaymakers soaked up our Queensland sun. Far North Queensland, the Whitsundays, and the Sunshine Coast succeeded in breaking all-time visitor records. A particularly exceptional achievement when we consider that the Far North were heavily dependant on international visitor numbers.
We owe much of our developing tourism recovery to all the Australians who chose to holiday in our state. But more importantly, our recovery has hinged on every operator who has proven these past few years that Queensland excels in delivering exceptional visitor experiences. Your resilience and determination are testament to how far our tourism industry has come.
As we brace ourselves for the coming months, I urge our industry to remember that the signs of recovery are there. At QTIC we are working hard to ensure that this recovery and growth continues. Our advocacy will focus on targeted industry development, such as improving our workforce challenges and ensuring that holidaymakers continue to choose Queensland. We know that traveller demand is there. We just need to ensure that we have the support and resources to match this demand.
Kind Regards,
Brett Fraser
QTIC Chief Executive Officer
