Media Releases

Tourism Queensland Board meets industry on the Sunshine Coast

Tuesday 1 May 2012

Tourism Queensland’s board is on the Sunshine Coast this week to meet with Sunshine Coast Destination Ltd’s board and tourism industry representatives.

Tourism Queensland CEO Anthony Hayes said the Tourism Queensland Board had been eager to talk to local industry and gain a clear understanding of the major issues affecting and opportunities available to the industry.

“Our meetings with local tourism industry representatives this week have presented a great opportunity to focus on and discuss the future,” Mr Hayes said.

“Our board and industry meetings are centred on the needs of the Sunshine Coast tourism industry and the opportunity for the region to be marketed through a range of Tourism Queensland international and domestic activities and initiatives.

“The board will also discuss the upcoming Destination Q forum to be held in Cairns, which will be attended by a number of Sunshine Coast tourism industry representatives.”

Mr Hayes said while in the region the Tourism Queensland Board would also attend industry events and experience local tourism products.

“Our board members inspected some great new tourisms products in the Sunshine Coast hinterland and a few local culinary tourism products,” he said.

“We attended the welcome function for the Australian Tourism Export Council’s (ATEC) Australian Youth Tourism Exchange 2012 last night, which gives international tourism buyers the chance to meet with a large number of Australian youth-focused tourism products.

“This morning we hosted a networking breakfast with local industry which was a great opportunity to catch up with many Sunshine Coast tourism operators.

“From Wednesday some of our board will attend The ATEC Symposium 2012 – the first time it will run on the Sunshine Coast and the second year in a row it will be held in Queensland.

“The ATEC Symposium is Australia’s largest annual tourism conference and attracts 500 representatives from the Australian tourism export industry, travel specialists and tourism operators over a four-day business program that includes pre- and post-familiarisations of the host region.

“Having this major conference on the Sunshine Coast will enable the region to showcase its incredible variety of tourism products to key decision-makers involved in the international travel industry.”

Mr Hayes said tourism was a critical industry for the Sunshine Coast and it was important for Tourism Queensland to know how to manage its future impact, while keeping in mind local priorities and community feedback.

“For these reasons we’ve held a number of industry and Tourism Queensland Board meetings in the region this week.”

In 2011 the Sunshine Coast welcomed almost three million international and domestic visitors to the region who spent almost $2 billion on their trips to the Sunshine Coast.

Further information:
Tourism Queensland – 3535 5840