Queensland tourism employment grows at twice the national average

The number of Queenslanders employed in tourism has grown at twice the national average over the past few years according to new research released today by the Sustainable Tourism Research Centre, Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said.

“Since the number of people employed in tourism was first measured by the researchers for the 2003/04 year, the number of people directly employed in tourism in Queensland increased by 15 percent in 2006/07 to 119,000,” Ms Boyle said.

“In addition, the STCRC calculated that a further 97,000 Queenslanders were indirectly employed in tourism in Queensland, bringing the total to just under 216,000.

“The average growth was eight percent, meaning Queensland grew at almost double the national average.”

Ms Boyle said tourism was one of the state’s major employers and one of the most labour-intensive because of its service-based nature.

“Queenslanders are employed in the tourism industry in virtually every town in every region across the state, from the local motel or pub in small country towns, to major resorts and tour operators in our key tourist centres.

“While they may not consider themselves to be directly employed in the tourism industry, the petrol station worker who fills up the tank of the grey nomad’s car and the corner shop owner who sells them bread and milk also owe their living partly to tourists.”

Ms Boyle said that during 2006/07 tourism also added $14.9 billion to the economy’s gross state product in both direct and indirect contributions - $1.1 billion more than in 2003/04.

Tourism is also the state’s second largest export earner after mining with international tourists alone contributing $3.9 billion to the Queensland economy last financial year.

“This means that everyone from the vegetable farmer to the truck driver who delivers the vegetables to restaurants who in turn use them as ingredients in meals served to visitors benefit from the tourist dollar,” Ms Boyle said.

“There is virtually no part of a town’s economy that doesn’t benefit from tourism in some way.”

Ms Boyle said one of the tourism industry’s greatest challenges was in finding and keeping skilled labour.

“With a low unemployment level and the resources boom wooing many of our youngest and brightest to the mines, many tourism businesses are struggling to find and keep skilled staff,” Ms Boyle said.

“As most tourism employers are small to medium-sized businesses who can’t compete with the high wages offered by the mining giants, the challenge is in convincing young people in particular that there is a strong career path waiting for them in the tourism industry.

“To this end, it is important for us to increase the focus on tourism training opportunities for young people, in attracting older people back into the workforce and in attracting more overseas working holidaymakers.”

Ms Boyle said some of the initiatives the Tourism Queensland and Queensland Government were involved in to increase employment in the tourism industry included:
? lobbying the federal government to loosen visa restrictions from seasonal workers and grey nomads;
? working with the Queensland Tourism Industry council and the Department of Employment, Education and Training to develop regional tourism skills strategies;
? working with tourism training institutions such as universities and TAFE colleges.

“A welcoming smile from a friendly local is something that can never be mechanized and will never become obsolete so as long as we have the tourism product and skilled staff to attract visitors, there will always be work in the tourism industry,” Ms Boyle said.


Further information:
Minister’s office – Kirstie Maier ph 3225 1005
Tourism Queensland – Kerri Anderson ph 3535 5010

17 September 2008