Thousands of visitors from across Australia and the world have converged on the Gold Coast for ATE16. The stage is set for Queensland to shine!
TEQ Chief Executive Officer, Leanne Coddington, said Queensland had an offering like no other with an enormous opportunity to take tourism to the next level.
“We have a $23 billion tourism industry that employs 230,000 people, and our focus is continuing to grow this industry which benefits regions and communities right across Queensland,” Ms Coddington said.
“Queensland is gifted with some of the most amazing holiday experiences from our coastal and natural attractions to our Outback adventures and indigenous culture, world-class suite of events and enviable lifestyle.
“The opportunities are endless and we're working hand-in-hand with industry to inspire visitors to visit Queensland, the best address on earth.”
One such opportunity is Queensland's greatest natural tourism advantage and one of the world's most intriguing visitor experiences – the Great Barrier Reef.
Beginning off the coast of Bundaberg in the south, the Reef stretches 2,300km to the northern waters of Tropical North Queensland, covering approximately 350,000km2.
“Comprised of 2,900 coral reefs and 1,050 islands and coral cays, there are so many reasons for visitors to return and experience a different part of this unrivalled natural wonder,” Ms Coddington said.
“Experiences such as the Reef are attracting record domestic and international visitation from traditional markets such as New Zealand and the UK, but also from the State's fastest growing market of China.
“China's overnight visitor expenditure in Queensland has grown phenomenally over the last year, up 51 per cent to $957 million compared to 2014.
“In 2015 we welcomed almost 22.5 million visitors from around Australia and abroad who spent more than $19 billion, increases of nine and eight per cent respectively on the year prior.
“On average, visitors spend $65 million each day in Queensland.”
Ms Coddington said Queensland's partnership approach around increasing aviation activity into Queensland had seen a number of new services secured for the State.
“New international flights since 2015 with Air Canada, Hong Kong Airlines, Singapore Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Jetstar, Qantas and more underscore our desire to increase aviation capacity to further grow visitation to Queensland.
“We also understand there's more to do to grow our market share in the face of intense interstate and international competition.”
Queensland's events scene is one such measure, headlined by TEQ's It's Live! in Queensland events marketing platform which includes the country's best destination focused events calendar – a $460 million asset for the State.
The 2016 calendar features 116 events across Queensland that deliver two million visitor nights, and contribute significant benefits economically and socially for the State.
“Queensland is also home to Australia's greatest mega-sporting event this decade, the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games,” Ms Coddington continued.
“We have an incredible opportunity to leave a legacy from the Games with the State-owned infrastructure in place to host many major sporting events in the future.”
Tourism and Events Queensland's global footprint is diverse with a presence in 14 key international markets, ensuring that visitors from around the world know that Queensland is where Australia shines.
“As a consumer-led, destination-focused organisation that connects people and place like never before, TEQ will continue to collaborate with industry stakeholders to drive industry growth, foster innovation and boost visitor expenditure for Queensland.”
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