The welcoming nature of residents in Tropical North Queensland has been confirmed in a new study examining the social impact of tourism on the local community.
The Social Indicators 2019 report by Tourism and Events Queensland shows more than three-quarters (77%) of residents agreed tourism had a positive impact on their community compared to just 45% in Queensland.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen said residents overwhelmingly agreed that tourism brought economic benefits (93%), an increased regional profile (91%), greater local pride (74%), new infrastructure (73%) and greater cultural diversity (93%).
Friendly locals help visitors form a lasting connection with the destination making people among the region’s greatest tourism assets.
This study explains why our community is so welcoming to visitors – they understand the benefits the industry brings to their lives and value its role in the community.
The 55,000 visitors in our region each day not only contribute to our economy, they support the services and infrastructure we rely on, and help conserve our environment through levies like the Great Barrier Reef Environmental Management Charge.
Just last week we had the announcement that Cairns had secured a $10 million regional export hub, an asset that goes hand in hand with tourism.
The hub presents an opportunity to share the destination’s story with the world through our extraordinary produce, as well as strengthening our trade ties and supporting aviation route development.
To put it simply, tourism is everyone’s business. It sustains one in five jobs in Tropical North Queensland by directly employing one in seven residents in 3700 tourism businesses that support our farmers, education providers, transport sector, retailers and service providers.
Every day visitors spend $10.4 million accounting for 18% of our gross regional product. Businesses wanting a bigger share of this tourism spend can work with Tourism Tropical North Queensland to connect with the customers choosing our region.
Cheers
Mark Olsen
Chief Executive Officer
6 November 2019