Later this month, TEQ will launch the next phase of its campaign which is aimed at domestic and New Zealand visitors. It came as data from the ABS showed Queensland had 123,700 short-term visitor arrivals in June, an increase of 60,090 compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.

The number of trips for June 2023 was 21 per cent lower than pre-COVID levels in June 2019.

New Zealand was the highest source of tourist in the month with 45,000, followed by  the US (14,500), and China (12,840).

Nationally, short term visitor arrivals were 542,080, an annual increase of 266,780 trips.

The TEQ said it would also step up its conversion focus with a “significant, high-impact tactical sale period” as the State Government declared the industry “must think big” to recapture lost markets.

TEQ would also partner with a range of trade and aviation companies in Australia and New Zealand to convert the strong intention for Queensland, drive dispersal across the state and deliver incremental bookings to Queensland. Trade partners will include Luxury Escapes, Accor, MyQueensland, Helloworld and House of Travel.

It follows a challenge brought by the State Government’s tourism blueprint to win over a “dominant share of Australia’s domestic holiday market”.

“By 2023, Queensland’s tourism industry aims to restore peak market share before reaching an interim aspirational target of $34 billion in overnight visitor expenditure by 2027,” the blueprint said.

“Industry will establish regional targets aiming for a final high growth target of $44 billion in overnight visitor expenditure in Queensland by 2032, in line with modelling that informed the target put forward by the Tourism Industry Reference Panel.”

However, the industry is also facing a significant labour shortage which has been alleviated by the return of backpackers but remains a major problem for the sector.

Chinese travellers were also expected to start returning after group tours to Australia were given the green light by the Chinese Government.

From November, China Southern Airlines would also start four non-stop services a week to Brisbane from Guangzhou, growing to daily services within two years.

That was expected to create 59,000 inbound seats at Brisbane International Airport in the first year of operation.

Over three years, China Southern will fly almost 278,000 inbound international seats into Brisbane, generating nearly $441 million for the visitor economy and supporting 1,790 good Queensland jobs.

Cathay Pacific has also expanded its services from Hong Kong to Brisbane from four to six direct services a week.