Published Thursday, 04 December, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Townsville tourism receives $79,000 QLD Government Christmas present
A feasibility study to develop a North Queensland Wetlands Network, a cruise ship strategy for the region and a localised events strategy are three Townsville Enterprise Ltd initiatives to be funded through a $79,000 Bligh Government special grant, Tourism Minister Desley Boyle announced today.
Ms Boyle said the grant was part of $1 million in State Government funding allocated to the state’s 14 regional tourism organisations.
“The Bligh Government is dedicated to growing tourism opportunities throughout regional Queensland and this is another example of our commitment.
“Townsville is a fast growing tourism region and it is important that we continue investing and planning for the future.
“Tourists are increasingly looking for experiences to connect with the natural environment. A wetlands strategy will open up new opportunities such as bird-watching, walking trails and other outdoor activities,” Ms Boyle said.
“Townsville is also major gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and a cruise strategy will look at new opportunities for the region to tap into what is one of the fastest growing tourism segments in the world.
“Similarly, an events strategy will build on the Townsville region’s capacity to attract and host major events – the recent Rugby League World Cup match is a perfect example of the potential the region has to become a leading events hub for the state’s north.”
Ms Boyle said both government and industry needed to continue to raise the bar by looking for new opportunities and better ways of doing things.
In the year to June 30 2008, 961,000 domestic and 145,000 international visitors spent time in Townsville, spending almost $683 million.
Of these, 356,000 domestic and 121,000 international visitors came specifically on holiday.
“Tourism is one of the key economic drivers for the region so it’s important the local industry continually looks for ways to improve and develop fresh, new product,” Ms Boyle said.
“The $1 million in grant funding is a State Government commitment to fund tourism development initiatives regional tourism organisations would otherwise be unable undertake.
“Regional tourism organisations across the state will use their allocations for a whole range of projects from new product feasibility studies to industry education programs.”
Ms Boyle said the funding was part of the State Government’s Queensland Tourism Strategy commitment to an additional $4 million in funding over four years for regional tourism organisations.
“Competition for the tourist dollar is increasingly fierce and it’s important for destinations to constantly look at ways to improve their visitor experience – be it investigating new product opportunities, increasing customer service levels or providing business advice and support to operators,” she said.
“I was pleased to see so many high-quality submissions and look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition.”
Further information:
Minister’s office – 3225 1005 or 0419 025 326
Tourism Queensland – 3535 5010
Ms Boyle said the grant was part of $1 million in State Government funding allocated to the state’s 14 regional tourism organisations.
“The Bligh Government is dedicated to growing tourism opportunities throughout regional Queensland and this is another example of our commitment.
“Townsville is a fast growing tourism region and it is important that we continue investing and planning for the future.
“Tourists are increasingly looking for experiences to connect with the natural environment. A wetlands strategy will open up new opportunities such as bird-watching, walking trails and other outdoor activities,” Ms Boyle said.
“Townsville is also major gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and a cruise strategy will look at new opportunities for the region to tap into what is one of the fastest growing tourism segments in the world.
“Similarly, an events strategy will build on the Townsville region’s capacity to attract and host major events – the recent Rugby League World Cup match is a perfect example of the potential the region has to become a leading events hub for the state’s north.”
Ms Boyle said both government and industry needed to continue to raise the bar by looking for new opportunities and better ways of doing things.
In the year to June 30 2008, 961,000 domestic and 145,000 international visitors spent time in Townsville, spending almost $683 million.
Of these, 356,000 domestic and 121,000 international visitors came specifically on holiday.
“Tourism is one of the key economic drivers for the region so it’s important the local industry continually looks for ways to improve and develop fresh, new product,” Ms Boyle said.
“The $1 million in grant funding is a State Government commitment to fund tourism development initiatives regional tourism organisations would otherwise be unable undertake.
“Regional tourism organisations across the state will use their allocations for a whole range of projects from new product feasibility studies to industry education programs.”
Ms Boyle said the funding was part of the State Government’s Queensland Tourism Strategy commitment to an additional $4 million in funding over four years for regional tourism organisations.
“Competition for the tourist dollar is increasingly fierce and it’s important for destinations to constantly look at ways to improve their visitor experience – be it investigating new product opportunities, increasing customer service levels or providing business advice and support to operators,” she said.
“I was pleased to see so many high-quality submissions and look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition.”
Further information:
Minister’s office – 3225 1005 or 0419 025 326
Tourism Queensland – 3535 5010