Advertisement

Despite border closures, Queensland faring best in tourism spending

Overnight visitor numbers to Queensland’s regions have risen and the state has recorded the lowest fall in tourism spending despite the border closure.

Nov 06, 2020, updated Nov 06, 2020
Gold Coast property developer Sunland will sell off its assets Photo: ABC

Gold Coast property developer Sunland will sell off its assets Photo: ABC

Tourism Research Australia figures released on Friday show visitors to the regions rose 3.0 per cent in August.

The majority of those travellers are from within the state with Queensland’s borders closed due to COVID-19.

Tourism spending was still down 6.0 per cent in the regions and 49 per cent in Brisbane.

Overall tourism spending fell by $362 million or 24 per cent to $1.14 billion in August compared with August 2019.

However, that was proportionately the smallest drop in tourism spending in any state that month.

Spending fell by $942 million or 51 per cent in NSW and 1.2 billion or 96 per cent in Victoria in the same period.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who has been under pressure from high-profile tourism operators such as Flight Centre to open the borders, lauded the figures.

InQueensland in your inbox. The best local news every workday at lunch time.
By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement andPrivacy Policy & Cookie Statement. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

“I asked Queenslanders to get out and explore their state. This data shows that they’ve answered the call,” she told AAP in a statement on Friday.

“Not only are we seeing more Queenslanders out and about, they’re spending more – pumping millions of dollars into local businesses and supporting local jobs.

“This is only possible because of our strong health response in Queensland.”

Palaszczuk said the TRA figures showed the state was heading in the right direction.

“We’ll continue to support tourism businesses to rebuild and recover from this pandemic,” the premier said.

Local News Matters
Advertisement

We strive to deliver the best local independent coverage of the issues that matter to Queenslanders.

Copyright © 2024 InQueensland.
All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy