The latest State Tourism Satellite Account figures were released by Ms Stuckey on April 2 and reveals the tourism industry across the state is expanding rapidly.
“Today’s data shows that … the tourism industry has seen economic growth of more than $3.5 billion,” she said in an April 2 media release.
Growth in this profitable sector is encouraging for those seeking training, employment and apprenticeships in Queensland, as the tourism industry accounts for more than 241,000 jobs across the state. Further expansion in the sector is likely to create a significant number of new employment opportunities.
“The data shows that tourism is creating jobs for Queensland with a 13 per cent increase in tourism employment over the last two years,” Ms Stuckey explained.
This growth has aligned strongly with the government’s commitment to create 420,000 new jobs in Queensland and reduce the unemployment rate to 4 per cent within the next six years.
“The Newman Government moved quickly to recognise tourism as one of the four pillars of the Queensland economy and we have worked diligently with industry to reboot tourism, stimulate economic growth and create jobs for Queenslanders,” said Ms Stuckey.
There are a number of initiatives that are contributing to the growth in the tourism industry, including Destination Success, a 20-year government plan to create tourist preference on a national and international stage.
One project currently encouraging employment and apprenticeships on the Gold Coast is the preparations for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
On January 30, Ms Stuckey shared her belief that hosting the Games in Queensland would create more than 30,000 jobs and inject $2 billion into the local economy. A number of these opportunities are currently underway as construction of world-class infrastructure and accommodation is completed.
Encouraging further growth in the tourism sector will involve a commitment between the government and industry stakeholders – an endeavour the government has already invested in.
“We are working closely with the sector to restore confidence and boost visitation across our tourism industry,” Ms Stuckey revealed.
“Partnerships and shared vision like this will help the Newman Government together with industry achieve our goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure from $15 billion to $30 billion in 2020,” she concluded.
By Leanne de Toerkenczy, Public Relations Coordinator
