50 visitor experiences for jobs and Queensland’s great lifestyle

The next generation of reef catamaran is one of 50 visitor experiences funded by the $15 million Tourism Experience Development initiative to enhance Queensland’s great lifestyle and deliver more good, secure jobs.

The combined value of the 50 proposed new and updated tourism experiences is approximately $56 million.

Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the initiative was part of Queensland’s response to the Tourism Industry Reference Panel’s Action Plan for tourism recovery.

“This fund is backing tourism operators to meet changing traveller needs and reshape Queensland’s visitor economy to welcome the world on our runway to the 2032 Games,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“Since the pandemic visitors have sought out more of Queensland’s unique natural attractions but with a much lighter tourism impact.

“That’s why the Palaszczuk Government is supporting Queensland tourism operators to fast-track new and refreshed visitor experiences.

“A hybrid-electric powered Great Barrier Reef catamaran is one of the projects we’re getting behind with $200,000 toward the boat’s $3.2 million construction cost.

“The 24-metre Eco Cat will be the Tropical North’s first hybrid-electric tour boat with fewer environmental and noise impacts on the reef.

“Construction will support 14 Cairns boat building jobs, 18 good, secure operational jobs and an extra 18,000 visitors generating $3.5 million in tourism spending.”

“The Tourism Experience Development Fund is a terrific example of leveraging new investment in the visitor economy.

“In total, the 50 projects are estimated to create 924 construction and tourism jobs, $104.5 million for the visitor economy and encourage an extra 467,000 holidaymakers to experience Queensland’s great lifestyle.”

The Tourism Experience Development Fund is backing 18 ecotourism projects including:

• Four eco-cabins, four glamping experiences and common use infrastructure at the High Valley Dawn farm-stay near Yeppoon
• Sea World Cruises’ underwater audio-visual system for immersive whale watching experiences on a smartphone app, and
• Accessibility upgrades at Capricorn Caves, one of Queensland’s original visitor attractions.

Funding support has also been approved for an innovative vertical fine dining restaurant above the Brisbane Powerhouse featuring eight tables, mounted four stories high.

Mr Hinchliffe said the Tourism Experience Development initiative had funded up to a quarter of individual project costs to a maximum of $200,000.

“This initiative is helping operators bring bright ideas to life and build back better for Queensland’s tourism recovery,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“As the Action Plan for Tourism Recovery has found, to remain a cutting-edge relevant international destination we need to continually reimagine and reinvent.”   

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