Brisbane out to leverage attractions and facilities to boost revenues by A$6.5bn

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Friday, 20 September 2019

More than 500 operators and industry partners are working to encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more in Australia’s Brisbane region.

Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner said: “Brisbane is transforming itself through A$12 billion worth of new developments including a new airport runway, the international cruise ship terminal and Queen’s Wharf. There is potential to secure an additional A$6.5 billion a year in visitor expenditure and support 50,000 new jobs. 

“In Brisbane, there is more to see and do than ever before, but now we need to work together to create a globally-recognised Brisbane brand and remarkable experiences to give visitors even more reason to stay and spend.”

The Visitor Economy 2031 Vision aims to build experiences in Brisbane, encourage brand awareness and global advocacy and encourage visitors to explore the entire Brisbane region - using Brisbane as a base to explore Australia.

Work is already under way to build a globally-recognised brand for the region. Initiatives include:

•  A A$10 million cooperative marketing program in collaboration with Brisbane Marketing, Brisbane Airport Corporation and the State government targeting North America and ASEAN markets that have direct flights to Brisbane.

• An industry-owned and shared Brisbane narrative that captures the elements and examples that make Brisbane the region of choice for a growing number of domestic and international visitors.

• The recently-announced lord mayor’s Experience Development Incentive Grant Program that helps local businesses offer more exceptional experiences to enhance Brisbane’s appeal as a destination.

• Brisbane City Council’s River Access Network that has opened up opportunities for new commissionable tourism products, similar to Sealink and the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation’s (QYAC) newly-launched Yalingbila whale-watching tour.

Momentum for Brisbane is already building with the latest tourism figures showing record numbers of domestic and international visitors from places like Sydney, Melbourne, China and the USA.

Forecasts from the Visitor Economy 2031 Vision show the combined value of international and domestic overnight visitors will contribute nearly 90 per cent of total visitor spend and visitors will come from regional markets, interstate capital cities and Brisbane’s top six international markets including China, India, North America, Korea, Japan and the UK.