This morning the new Tourism Industry Reference Panel was announced to to plan the next steps and create a considered, collaborative future for Queensland’s former $25.5 billion tourism industry.
Prior to COVID-19, Tourism supported one in eleven Queensland jobs and welcomed more than 28.6 million visitors spending $25.5 billion (in 2019). The industry has bene hit hard by the impacts of the pandemic, and it is critical that we take action to rebuild our tourism economy, and shape the next phase of Queensland’s economic response.
The panel of three experienced industry experts will review Queensland’s visitor economy, identify opportunities to accelerate the tourism industry’s recovery, and seek feedback from industry to help shape long-term success in the sector.
The panel members are:
- Ms Liz Savage, Chair
- Mr Brett Godfrey, Member
- Mr Andrew McEvoy, Member
The panel will explore a range of issues, including:
- changes in consumer demand and emerging market opportunities
- Queensland’s brand positioning against competitor destinations, as both a State and destination specific brands
- enablers of tourism growth, including skills, infrastructure and technology
- re-building airline capacity into Queensland as well as other transport options
- opportunities for new products and experiences, including shovel ready projects capable of spurring investment, rejuvenation and visitation
- opportunities for events to drive visitation, including to regional areas and during off-peak periods
- opportunities for Queensland to increase its share of international education.
The panel will be working to deliver a Tourism Recovery Action Plan by mid-2021, with the final plan due in early 2022.
For more information about the panel and their work, visit the DTIS website.