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FEBRUARY 09, 2024
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$7.5bn target Tourism sets ambitious visitor spending goal by 2032
A visiting couple enjoy the tranquility of Stoney Creek, Kamerunga. Tourism Tropical North Queensland says the region’s natural surroundings are attracting more tourists.
Picture: Tourism Tropical North Queensland
l FAR NORTH | Nick Dalton THE region’s tourism industry has set a goal of annual visitor spending to top $7.5 billion by 2032 – the year of the Brisbane Olympics. The target was revealed by Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive officer Mark Olsen after visitor
expenditure had currently reached a record $4.8bn, up from $3.5bn in 2019, and after a period of doldrums between 2006-2014. He told 170 people at Tuesday’s Cairns Chamber of Commerce lunch that the most optimistic scenario of $7.5bn was based on 7.12 per cent growth while the less positive case study was $6.3bn (4.7 per cent growth).
In the middle ground is $6.7bn (5.6 per cent). Mr Olsen said $6.3bn, estimated on the slowest growth of 4.7 per cent, would need: • Increased domestic and international flights or bigger planes involving 125,000-165,000 additional seats • Growing domestic market share of high value travellers requiring an
estimated 5000-10,000 additional rooms by 2032 • Supporting new visitor experiences, requiring an estimated $5bn in infrastructure and investment. Mr Olsen believes if the industry pursues the ambitious target it will almost double current visitor spending in less than 10 years. CONTINUED PAGE 5
Deputy wants top job l DOUGLAS SHIRE | Isabella Guzman Gonzalez FOUR-year Douglas councillor and deputy mayor Lisa Scomazzon has emerged as a late and, so far, only contender for the mayoral race ahead of nominations closing on Tuesday. After weeks of silence and no candidates putting their hands up, the Newell Beach business owner officially announced she will be running for the top job aiming to focus on disaster resilience and water and sewage infrastructures. If elected at the March 16 elections, Cr Scomazzon (above) would replace current mayor Michael Kerr who is not standing again. “I’ve been a councillor for four years and I was happy to do four more, but I believe that with our current situation in the shire there’s a lot to deal with, and the mayor should be someone who has had a term already,” Cr Scomazzon said. “I spoke to my other councillors and none of them wanted to take on the role, so I decided to raise my hand for it.” CONTINUED PAGE 2
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