2023 Queensland Tourism Industry Scorecard

The 2023 scorecard shows positive results and meaningful progress over 2023, including:

• Of the 94 actions included in Phase 1, 10 actions have been fully delivered, 74 actions are on track, six actions are pending, and four actions require support.
• Record $33.2 billion in annual overnight visitor expenditure (June 2023) driven by domestic demand, placing industry on track to meet the TT32 interim target of $34 billion per annum by 2027 and final target of $44 billion by 2032.
• Tourism remains a key employment sector despite labour challenges with workforce availability and skills capability – tourism filled jobs totalled 206,200 in 2021-22 (up 32 per cent on 2020-21).
• 26 international airline services to Queensland supported under the $200 million joint Attracting Aviation Investment Fund (AAIF), estimated to deliver more than 1.97 million inbound international seats, up to $1.67 billion in overnight visitor spend and supporting up to 18,936 Queensland jobs.
• Approximately $260 million in government investment to date for initiatives linked to TT32 Phase 1, e.g. $15 million Growing Future Tourism program; $20 million Queensland Music Trails program, with six trails and 16 events to date; dedicating 2023 as the Year of Accessible Tourism, with a $12 million package of initiatives; $9.2 million Activate Ecotourism Infrastructure initiative; and $2 million Eco-certified Tourism Destination Program, funding 12 destinations.
• Tourism operators are increasingly adopting sustainable tourism practices and are recognising and prioritising accessibility needs in tourism product delivery – 243 Eco-Certified tourism operators and 2 Eco-Certified tourism destinations (as at 2023); 2,985 operators catering for access needs (September 2023); 6 million national park visits (YE September 2022).

However, challenges remain for industry growth and expected headwinds necessitate sustained efforts on TT32 implementation into year two of Phase 1.

Return of international visitation remains below pre-COVID-19 levels, and uplifts in Australian outbound travel and cost of living pressures are expected to see softening of visitor demand, length of stays, and visitor expenditure over coming reporting periods.