QUEENSLAND BEATS NATIONAL AVERAGE IN INTERNATIONAL TOURISM GROWTH

International Visitors are staying longer and spending more in Queensland, new figures show.

Tourism Minister Margaret Keech said the latest International Visitor Survey (IVS) showed Queensland doubled Australia’s international visitor growth average.

The State also experienced strong growth in expenditure, said Mrs Keech.

“Not only did the number of people coming to Queensland during the year ending December 2006 increase but the length of their stay increased dramatically by 15 per cent to more than 34.4 million nights,” she said.

“These fantastic results are proof that the Queensland Government and Tourism Queensland are delivering real economic returns for the people of Queensland.

“Tourism is Queensland’s second biggest export,” Mrs Keech said.

“Last year international tourism contributed $3.19 billion to the State’s economy.”

Mrs Keech said 2,181,179 international tourists visited Queensland in 2006.

Many among them were from the top two emerging markets identified under the state Government’s Queensland Tourism Strategy (QTS), China and Korea , which showed significant growth, she said.

“Just last month I was in India with 26 Queensland tourism industry representatives to open a new Tourism Queensland office and meet with Government, airlines and tourism operators,” she said.

“We are starting to see the rewards of this ongoing work, with Indian visitor numbers and visitor nights increasing by a staggering 40 per cent and 42 per cent respectively.

“Tourism Queensland is the only state to have a dedicated office and staff in India, proving that Queensland continues to place itself at the forefront of the international tourism industry.

“Other markets to show strong international visitor growth included Canada, which increased by up to 33 per cent, and the USA, which grew 7 per cent.

“The top performing Queensland regions were Brisbane, Tropical North Queensland and the Gold Coast.

“The research showed that most international visitors come to Queensland for leisure, with these visitors accounting for 95 per cent of the State’s visitors.

“These great results are a testament to the hard work being done by Tourism Queensland and industry in these markets.

“Importantly this equals real economic returns and more job opportunities for Queensland communities,” Mrs Keech said.

Media Contact: Jo Gibbons 3224 2007 or David Smith 3225 1005