TOURISM MINISTER PLAYS SANTA

Tourism Minister Margaret Keech today delivered a $72,000 early Christmas present from the Beattie Government to the Whitsundays tourism industry.

Mrs Keech told an industry lunch at the Coral Seas Resort the grant would be of enormous benefit to the local industry.

“The funding will be an investment in growing the region’s dive tourism market share, developing an online marketing strategy, identifying additional funding opportunities, and attracting and retaining staff,” she said.

”We asked Tourism Whitsundays to tell us how we as a Government could help them.

“We invited them to come to us with initiatives they believed would greatly benefit their industry - and the Government is happy to deliver.”

This initial funding will be invested in:

·Expanding the local dive industry – looking at ways to increasing the region’s total market share which has been slowly decreasing.

·Developing a Tourism Whitsunday’s website along with a long-term marketing strategy to drive visitation and website use.

·Developing strategies to encourage and train highly skilled industry employees, and retain them.

·Engaging a consultant to prepare modelling and options to expand funding sources for Tourism Whitsundays.

Mrs Keech said the Whitsundays was the first region to receive its share of an extra $1 million a year for regional tourism organisations (RTOs) provided by the Beattie Government through the Queensland Tourism Strategy (QTS).

“This special funding grant is another outcome of the QTS and will be of enormous benefit to the industry here,” she said.

“The grant again confirms the Beattie Government’s commitment to tourism in this popular and important region.

“The QTS is a key Government election promise to secure the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the tourism industry’s future, here and across Queensland.”

Mrs Keech said building Queensland regions such as the Whitsundays was a priority for the Beattie Government.

“While the QTS provides a statewide tourism framework, a destination infrastructure and investment plan is being developed to identify issues and opportunities specific to the Whitsundays tourism industry,” she said.

“This will support the amazing ’74 Islands’ print, outdoor and television promotional campaign that has received almost $2 million in State Government funding.

“Additionally, the Whitsundays region is playing a starring role in the spectacular new $6.5 million ‘Where Else But Queensland’ television campaign which will be launched onto the domestic market in February.

“These initiatives are just the start of the many ongoing benefits beign delivered to the industry under the QTS.”

For more information on the Queensland Tourism Strategy visit www.qldtourismstrategy.com.au

Media contact: David Smith 3225 1005 / 0409 496 534