I want to take this time to firstly thank the countless emergency service workers, volunteers and local authorities who stepped up and provided help to those impacted. I also would like to remind our QTIC members that we are here for you. If you are in need of any specific support or if you have concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 07 3236 1445. Our entire team is on hand to support you, your staff, and your business.

We have already provided over a hundred tourism businesses with free access to our online Risk Assessment Tool. I know that many operators took advantage of the free offer to help prepare their businesses against disaster. I encourage all operators to make use of the several free resources and tools that are available to our industry to safeguard your livelihood and to protect your customers and staff. A great place to start in preparing against and recovering from disaster is with the free Don’t Risk It! Manual and QTIC’s online Disaster Resilience micro course.

I am happy to share that QTIC Corporate Partner, EY, have also stepped in to help recovery efforts by providing free services such as all-important insurance guidance and grant application support to impacted businesses. If you’d like assistance from EY, please contact Associate Partner, John Kimlin directly at [email protected] or on 07 3011 3236.

We are also working hard behind the scenes to ensure that our affected communities, operators, and industry are receiving the support needed. Since December, I have been in daily discussions with the state government; stressing the importance of rolling out emergency grant and support packages. We are also making it clear that impacted destinations are dependent on the return of visitors and that, campaigns aimed at driving guests into region and driving up spending, is an urgent need.

In response, we have seen the Queensland Government commit $2.5 million to the Gold Coast Summer FUNds campaign, which saw 50,000 visitors spend $50 vouchers on local experiences. A Qantas campaign offering travellers drastically reduced flights to Tropical North Queensland, saw more than 11,000 visitors flying into the region.

But there is more work to be done. The next few months will be a slow but steady road to recovery, and I have no doubt that our resolve will be tested at times. But QTIC, along with your Regional Tourism Organisation, remain committed to supporting you before, during, and after any challenges we may face.