July 20, 2020
Queensland’s “Year of Indigenous Tourism” has been stretched out into 2021 as the tourism industry continues to recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
“Queensland’s tourism and events industry is enduring an incredibly difficult year due to the ongoing impacts of COVID-19,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
“And it’s common sense now to extend the Year of Indigenous Tourism through into 2021 so we can further boost the profile of Indigenous experiences in Queensland as our State recovers from the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Earlier this year, we announced a new $10 million Indigenous tourism fund as part of the Year of Indigenous Tourism to help further develop this sector of the industry and create economic opportunities and jobs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.
“The bulk of this funding has not been spent as specific promotions and programs were forced on hold while we dealt with the COVID-19 outbreak.”
Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the Indigenous Tourism Sector Analysis report, released by Tourism and Events Queensland at the weekend, showed more than 420,000 visitors took part in an Indigenous tourism activity every year.
Indigenous tourism supports $505 million in visitor expenditure in Queensland in a normal year and employs nearly 2500 people on a full-time basis
“This comprehensive supply and demand study is the first of its kind into Indigenous tourism in Queensland,” Minister Jones said.
“It proves just how important Indigenous tourism will be to the future of the whole industry in Queensland.
“This study (shows) the number of visitors participating in Indigenous tourism activities is growing at an average of 11.2 per cent per year.
“Tourists and holidaymakers are seeking an authentic experience. When they travel they really want to delve into the local culture, understand a destination’s people and leave feeling more enriched.”
The Indigenous Tourism Sector Analysis was commissioned by TEQ, with the research conducted by the University of Queensland and Griffith University.
