The Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) acknowledges that significant consultation and engagement on tourism funding has already taken place — and we commend those efforts. Now, we are calling on local and state government to work in direct partnership with industry to take the next step: to explore and implement long-term, sustainable funding solutions that will futureproof Queensland’s visitor economy.
 
Tourism contributes billions annually to Queensland’s economy and supports tens of thousands of jobs — particularly in regional communities. Yet the mechanisms to fund tourism marketing, infrastructure, experience development, event attraction, and crisis response remain fragile.
 
Across Queensland, local and state governments and tourism organisations are delivering more with less, while also absorbing the cost of natural disasters, infrastructure fatigue, and market disruption. We are behind the eight ball — and falling further behind with each passing year.
 
Across the globe, governments and industries are adopting innovative funding approaches to support the growth, sustainability, and resilience of tourism. Queensland must now engage in its own conversation — one that is proactive, inclusive, and grounded in the realities of our diverse regions and products. But that conversation must start with industry — not end with it.
 
We acknowledge the valuable conversations that have already taken place between industry, local councils, and the state government including the Destination 2045 consultations. However, it’s now time to elevate the discussion regarding future funding of the industry into a truly collective, industry-wide approach — one that brings together all voices, all regions, and government around a shared vision for Queensland’s tourism future.
 
QTIC is calling for a unified approach:

• Industry must continue to be actively engaged. Government has included industry voices in the conversation to date — and we acknowledge that. The next step is bringing the discussion together in a more unified, collective way to ensure funding solutions are co-designed with the sector, not delivered to it.
• Government must engage. Local and state government have a role to play in shaping a coordinated funding framework that recognises the unique challenges and opportunities across Queensland’s diverse visitor economies.
• All funding options must be on the table. This includes exploring new, scalable, and equitable revenue streams to invest directly into tourism infrastructure, events, marketing, and destination management.
• New funding must be additional, not replacement. Any future model must be above and beyond existing tourism commitments, not used to offset or withdraw current investment. Tourism deserves a growth mindset, not a substitution model.

Queensland is not homogenous. Some regions welcome millions of visitors per year with relatively small resident populations, while others manage localised tourism with limited infrastructure.
That’s why QTIC firmly opposes a one-size-fits-all approach.
 
Any future funding mechanism must:

• Be optional and flexible for local government and communities
• Reflect regional realities and tourism maturity
• Be transparently reinvested into the tourism system
• Include structured governance and industry oversight
• Be designed through consultation — not assumption

With the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, Queensland has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to elevate and transform its visitor economy. To seize this moment, we must ensure our funding frameworks are forward-looking, resilient, and built to support the legacy we aim to leave.
 
The time for exploration, consultation and co-design is now.

QTIC is committed to ensuring tourism continues to have a strong, unified voice in this important conversation. We recognise the efforts already made by all levels of government and industry — and now is the time to bring those conversations together into a coordinated, statewide approach. We encourage local and state government to join industry at the table with bipartisan support, so we can shape funding solutions that are future-focused, regionally responsive, and built to last. Let’s work together to secure a sustainable future for Queensland tourism — not just for today, but for the decades ahead.

Kind regards,