Whitsundays primed for tourism infrastructure investment boom

Tourism Minister Kate Jones today nominated the Whitsundays to be part of a new push to drive tourism infrastructure investment in the region.

Ms Jones told a tourism ministers’ meeting in Darwin today the Whitsundays was an iconic tourism region in Queensland primed for growth and investment.

“The Whitsundays has been selected as the only Queensland region to be part of the national Regional Tourism Infrastructure Investment Attraction Strategy,” she said.

“We will work with Austrade and Tourism Australia to usher in a new era of tourism investment on the Whitsundays.

“We want to do all we can to attract new investment to the Whitsundays including new hotels and resorts and new tourist attractions that will inspire more visitors to the region, grow the local economy and support more tourism jobs.

“That’s why I have nominated the Whitsundays to be front and centre of the Regional Tourism Investment Attraction Plan endorsed by tourism ministers today.”

Ms Jones said the five-year plan would scope local investment opportunities and target international investors.

“Austrade and Tourism Australia will also work with us to identify and overcome barriers to investment like planning regulations, accessibility challenges, labour and skills shortages and supporting infrastructure,” she said.

“We know that all levels of government can play a part in encouraging more investment in the Whitsundays.”

Tourism Whitsundays CEO Craig Turner said the announcement from the Minister was perfectly timed.

“Visitation to the Whitsundays has seen record growth of 30%,” Mr Turner said.

“The commitment from our Tourism Minister and the Queensland Government, is an investment which will see real return financial return.

“The Whitsundays carried the greatest number of visitors to the Great Barrier Reef last financial year.

“And we are on track this year to exceed 1 million visitors to the GBR marine park in the Whitsundays for the first time ever.

“The size of the investment committed to the Whitsundays will generate jobs and prosperity for our region going forward.”

Ms Jones said significant tourism investments were already planned the Whitsundays including:

• $2 billion re-development of the Laguna Whitsundays Resort
• $600 million re-development of Lindeman Island Resort
• Development of Daydream Island Resort and Spa and South Molle Island Resort
• Redevelopment of Brampton Island

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