General News
6 April, 2023
FNQ’s $5bn target
Tourism marketing body’s audacious ambition for extra $1bn visitor spend
TROPICAL North Queensland’s tourism expenditure could top $5 billion a year by 2025 – about $1bn more than in 2022.
The bold ambition by Tourism Tropical North Queensland’s chief executive Mark Olsen is four years ahead of 2021 forecasts.
He also told the Cairns Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting that visitor nights spent in the region of 15 million was currently at 84 per cent of 2019’s levels but was expected to exceed 16m by 2025.
Mr Olsen said international tourist numbers were slowly recovering, with current figures at just over 2.5m, however it would reach about 2.8m by late next year.
He said the region’s inbound recovery was slower than nationally because the first travellers returning were predominantly those visiting friends and relatives or on business.
“We grew our national market share in domestic spending, particularly in holiday and interstate nights, but we’ve lost our share of international,” Mr Olsen said.
Growing international tourism numbers is a priority
He said leisure travellers were still missing, at only 42 per cent of 2019’s figures, especially in the eastern markets of China, Hong Kong and Japan.
Mr Olsen said international flight search data for Cairns showed growth in January but dipping in February.
It was the strongest in Europe, the UK, New Zealand and Japan.
“There will be slower forecast recovery from China, with the strongest growth from Europe, India, Japan, the UK and USA,” he said.
Mr OIsen said the region’s regional expenditure of $4bn was sixth in Australia (up from 7th in 2021), behind Sydney ($7.7bn), Melbourne ($7.5bn), Brisbane ($5.5bn), Gold Coast ($4.2bn) and North Coast of NSW ($4.1bn).
“Easter bookings are slightly just behind 2021 and 2022, stronger again from June-July school holidays, stronger still from August onwards,” he said.
Mr Olsen said forward business events bookings were strong for 2023. Demand for corporate travel was up 76 per cent compared to 2019.
He said the strengths and priorities from now until 2025 included: a world-leader in sustainable tourism with over 182 accredited experiences, a leading destination in accessibility and inclusive tourism with an opportunity to extend that advantage with the Year of Accessible Tourism grants, the third most visited destination for Indigenous experience, eco-luxury positioning a strength as international travellers seek a point of difference and aviation trends towards more fuel-efficient aircraft.
