Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli is pushing for an unprecedented 20-year blueprint to supercharge the tourism opportunities starting with an immediate industry support package.
With all eyes set on Queensland’s 2032 Olympics, Mr Crisafulli said there needed to be a three-pronged plan heading into the games, during the games and after the games.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to dream big but if we don’t support our operators in their hour of need we won’t have a tourism industry to celebrate with the world,” he said.
“I’m urging the state government to show leadership and introduce a strategy that will get our tourism industry back on its feet for decades to come.
“It starts with a financial lifeline funded jointly by the state and federal government to sustain iconic businesses and their staff through these dark times.
“This provides the confidence for business to invest in new products that are needed to put Queensland back at the top of the world’s tourism industry over the next decade.
“We can then market our state to the world during the Olympics and trade-off this reputation for the decade after the Games.
“This is the maroon challenge.
“We owe it to tourism operators and regions from the Gold Coast to Cairns who rely so heavily on visitors.
“We owe it to the small and family business owners who’ve been hit-for-six during the COVID pandemic.”
The State Government’s tourism plans, including the Ecotourism Plan and the Queensland Tourism and Transport Strategy, are currently out of date.
“We need to deliver new products to create a visitor experience that puts us back on the top of the world, and we need an aggressive strategy on either side of the games,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“Let’s go back to the era where we are prepared to use what makes Queensland special to drive tourism in our great state.”
