QUEENSLAND’S TOURISM VOUCHER PROGRAM EXTENDS

The Palaszczuk Government will expand the state’s popular travel voucher scheme to Brisbane and the Whitsundays.

Member for Nicklin, Rob Skelton MP said the government would offer more than 30,000 vouchers to tourists in Brisbane and 6,000 for visitors in the Whitsundays in a move that could pump over $25 million into the state’s tourism industry.

“We’ve seen how successful this program has been in Cairns – pumping millions of dollars into local businesses at a time they need it most,” Mr Skelton said.

“Today’s announcement will support jobs in the Greater Brisbane and Whitsundays regions and give Queenslanders an even bigger incentive to holiday at home and support their mates.

“In early March we saw more than 106,000 people flock to register for a Cairns Holiday Dollars voucher – now we’re giving Queenslanders a chance to explore Brisbane and the Whitsundays.

Mr Skelton said registrations for vouchers would open on April 27, giving Queenslanders just 72 hours to enter the draw.

“We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. If you’re taking a break, I encourage you to get out and explore our own backyard,” Mr Skelton said.

“For the Brisbane region, we’ll be giving away 15,000 vouchers worth $100 each for Queenslanders to have a city escape – staying in Brisbane’s wide range of new and well-known hotels and enjoying tourism experiences like climbing the story bridge, connecting with Indigenous culture or getting out to the Scenic Rim or the bay.”

“In the Whitsundays, we’ll be targeting people already holidaying in the region. We’ll offer visitors $200 vouchers to spend on tourism experiences like Great Barrier Reef tours, trips to Whitehaven Beach, scenic flights and wildlife experiences.

“We’re also working closely with the tourism industry on the Gold Coast to develop a similar program that will help to boost revenue for operators in coming months.”

Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said today’s expansion of the Holiday Dollars program would benefit thousands of tourism operators in Brisbane and the Whitsundays.

“When we first launched this program for Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, we said we’d look at how we can support other regions most impacted by international border closures,” he said.

“As the hub for the majority of international arrivals to Queensland, Brisbane has been significantly impacted.

“We know the Whitsundays is world-renowned and in particular tourism experiences like overnight sailing trips continue to struggle without international visitors who are their main clientele.

“In Cairns, the feedback from tourism operators has been glowing as the Holiday Dollars program has rolled out and in coming weeks, you’ll see a further push to drive visitors to enjoy tourism experiences in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.

“The Palaszczuk Government is serious about supporting our tourism industry which has suffered significantly from the impacts of COVID-19 and is the most tourism-reliant state in the country.

“We want our support to bring the best possible results for tourism operators and that’s why we’ve worked closely with each region to plan the best possible program to fill the gaps for each specific area.

“Queenslanders – get ready to make your next holiday bookings and make the most of the vouchers on offer.

“As we approach the cooler winter months there’s plenty of attractions in the city, romantic escapes in Brisbane’s hinterland, and spectacular warm weather in the Whitsundays – this is a time of year when Queensland really shines.”

Mr Hinchliffe said the voucher program was one part of a comprehensive campaign to rebuild the state’s tourism industry back better than before the pandemic.

“The Holiday Dollars program has been carefully planned and targeted to support those destinations most impacted by the loss of international visitors, and the feedback from Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef operators has been very positive to date,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“As we roll out the next phases of this program, we also continue our core marketing in interstate markets. The Good to Go campaign is currently in full swing through major media outlets across Sydney and Melbourne with a strong conversion focus encouraging holiday bookings.

“It’s exciting to have extended the Good to Go campaign into New Zealand from this week as our first international visitors begin to arrive.

“While New Zealand won’t fill the hole left by the broader international market it is a first and very important step towards welcoming back international visitors.

“We also have several programs of direct support still in place to help tourism operators who are still struggling – including the Queensland Tourism Business Financial Counselling Service, our International Tourism Adaptation Grant and various rebate programs which have reduced the outgoings for tourism businesses.”

Brisbane Holiday Dollars

• Registrations for Brisbane Holiday Dollars will open to the public at 12:00pm (midday) AEST on Tuesday, 27 April 2021, with 72 hours to get your name in the draw. The draw closes at 11:59am AEST Friday, 30 April 2021.

• Successful recipients will be notified by text and email and have four weeks to make their bookings from 6 May for travel between 6 May and 13 July 2021.

• The vouchers will cover 50 per cent of the cost of the booking with eligible accommodation and tourism experience operators, up to a maximum of $100.

Whitsundays Holiday Dollars

• The Whitsundays Holiday Dollars campaign will launch on 4 May 2021, with holidaymakers (and locals) already in the region able to claim a voucher for use during their stay.

• The vouchers will cover 50 per cent of the cost of the booking with eligible tourism experience operators, up to a maximum of $200.


For more information, visit www.queensland.com