- Up to 1,000 tourism leaders are in Cairns for Tourism Week.
- Industry events include Destination IQ, Destination Q and the prestigious Queensland Tourism Awards.
- Follows a record $33.2 billion visitor economy spend in the year to June 2023
One of the glittering gems of Queensland’s tourism crown is this week the epicentre of the State’s visitor industry.
Up to 1,000 tourism industry leaders are in Tropical North Queensland for Tourism Week.
Tourism Week includes three signature industry events – Destination IQ, Destination Q and the Queensland Tourism Industry Council’s (QTIC) annual Queensland Tourism Awards.
Destination IQ is one of Australia’s premier First Nations tourism forums for learning about new visitor opportunities and emerging national and international trends.
Destination Q, presented by the Palaszczuk Government in partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland and QTIC brings together a sample of Queensland’s 64,000 tourism related businesses to map priorities for becoming the nation’s destination of choice.
Now in its 11th year, Destination Q will be headlined by accessibility advocate and past Australian of the Year, Dylan Alcott AO and leading economic and marketing experts.
The prestigious, 38th annual Queensland Tourism Awards cap off the week, recognising excellence across 31 categories and winners going on to next year’s Australian Tourism Awards.
Quotes attributable to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk:
“Queensland is the best place to live, work and play.
“Thanks to our world-class tourism operators, international and domestic travel to Queensland has bounced back.
“In the year to June 2023, international and domestic overnight visitor expenditure reached a record $33.2 billion.
“That’s money straight into Queensland businesses and ultimately, Queensland households.
“On my recent trade mission to China, tourism in Queensland, – and particularly in Cairns, was a huge focus and I’m very much looking forward to hearing the insights of our operators this week.”
Quotes attributable Federal Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell:
“It’s great to see the spotlight on one of Australia’s most stunning visitor destinations during Queensland Tourism Week,” he said.
“This week brings industry and governments together to celebrate Queensland tourism’s success over the past year, and to talk about the exciting opportunities ahead.
“We need to keep working together on ensuring world-class tourism experiences can be delivered in a sustainable way that is sensitive to the environment, our cultures and our communities’ needs.
“I’m looking forward to joining state and territory tourism ministers to talk about sustainability and other tourism matters at our Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in Cairns on Friday.”
Quotes attributable Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe:
“On the State’s runway to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Queensland has an amazing opportunity to become Australia’s global destination of choice.
“Queensland’s Year of Accessible Tourism continues to back tourism operators to ensure our world-class visitor experiences can be enjoyed by everyone.
“The industry led Towards Tourism 2032 strategy is an intensive ten-year roadmap for growing a $44 billion-a-year visitor economy in Queensland by the 2032 Games.
“As we celebrate our tourism success, the importance of adapting to emerging trends and staying on track can’t be underestimated and that’s the priority for Tourism Week in Cairns.”
Quotes attributable Tourism and Events Queensland Chief Executive Officer Patricia O’Callaghan:
“It’s wonderful to welcome our industry to Cairns for tourism’s week of weeks.
“We are firmly focused on supporting our industry to achieve its bold goals and position Queensland as a globally recognised tourism and events destination.”
Quotes attributable to Assistant Tourism Minister and Member for Cairns Michael Healy:
“What Cairns has to offer will be showcased and celebrated this week.
“We have seen such success in the tourism space as we come out of the pandemic – domestic and international tourism is returning at great speed.
“I look forward to welcoming delegates from all around the state and celebrating the best of Queensland.”
Quotes attributable to Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Brett Fraser.
“One in seven Australian businesses are tourism related and, for every dollar spent in Queensland’s tourism industry, an extra 85 cents are spent elsewhere in the economy, which makes tourism one of the country’s most important industries.
It’s great to see the tourism community uniting in Cairns to celebrate our achievements and to share ideas, trends and innovations that will see the continued success of our industry.
“I am looking forward to talking with operators and learning how we can support their success and ensure Queensland’s position as a leading global destination.”
