NEW ZEALAND: Shadow Tourism Minister Jon Krause Says Queensland Tourism Declining

The latest tourism figures confirm Queensland is falling behind other states under the Palaszczuk Labor Government which remain clueless when it comes to attracting visitors to our state.

Shadow Tourism Minister Jon Krause said the incompetent and lazy Palaszczuk Labor Government waited almost two years to launch its first state-wide tourism campaign.

He said that Queensland’s tourism sector had gone backwards compared to other states.

“Minister Jones needs to realise there is more to managing the state’s multi-billion dollar tourism sector than hopping on the ministerial jet for a photo opportunity every now and then,” Mr Krause said.

“While growth in international expenditure of 10.6% sounds quite good, it is actually lower than the Australian average growth of 11.5%.

“Sadly, while we are seeing strong growth in today’s figures, which is mirrored right across Australia, Queensland’s share of the tourism market is falling further behind New South Wales and Victoria.

“While we’re seeing more international visitors, they’re not staying as long and they’re spending less while here.”

Mr Krause said Labor had put a number of large scale tourism projects such as Aquis, Great Keppel Island and the Gold Coast Integrated Resort Development in the too hard basket resulting in lost employment and economic opportunities.

He said Labor’s ideological policies were also harming the state’s tourism sector.

“Labor continues to run a scare campaign on the Great Barrier Reef to appease extreme inner-city interest groups which risks tourism jobs in North Queensland,” he said.

“Labor also rolled out the red carpet to criminal gangs which will be devastating for the tourism reputation of the Gold Coast and their draconian state-wide lockout laws punish everyone for the sins of a few.”