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Tourism in Queensland new victim of disasters
Source: Agencies |
February 23, 2011, Wednesday
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DREAM holiday destination Queensland has a new nightmare. The flood waters have receded, the cyclone's fury is long spent - the welcome mat is out again. But tourists are staying away in droves.
"We saw all the floods and thought we might be in danger," said Ben Davis, 21, who's in Australia on a year-long work and holiday visa with his girlfriend, Danielle Hodgson.
The English couple planned a short jaunt to Sydney before heading to the tropical paradise of Australia's northeast coast. But one week has turned into six - and counting - as they watched first one, then a second natural disaster unfold in Queensland state and decided Sydney was a safer bet.
The sudden change of plans is a small example of a bigger problem for Queensland as it recovers from weeks of deadly flooding and from a massive cyclone.
The disasters have caused an abrupt image malfunction for the state, which includes some of the main drawcards in Australia's A$40 billion (US$40.1 billion) a year tourism industry. Almost 6 million tourists visited Australia last year, and more than half of them went to Queensland, lured by Great Barrier Reef, miles of pristine beaches and year-round warm weather.
"The vast majority of the tourism businesses in the state have been completely untouched by the disasters. The problem is the phone has stopped ringing," said Anthony Hayes, the head of the government-funded promotional body Tourism Queensland.
Itinerary changes and trip cancellations have cut Queensland tourism revenue by an estimated A$500 million since Christmas, said Daniel Gschwind, CEO of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council. Losses are still being assessed, but Gschwind expects that number to rise.
Tourism contributes A$9.2 billion to the Queensland economy each year and provides more than 220,000 jobs.
Tourism officials say it is too early to say whether images of the disasters have affected the number of foreign visitors traveling to Australia. Industry workers and tourists themselves say many that are already in the country are avoiding Queensland.
In recognition of the importance of the tourism industry, the Australian and Queensland governments have each contributed A$5 million for a support package aimed at attracting visitors back to the state, though Gschwind said more help was needed.
For Davis and Hodgson, making a trip to Queensland may be back on the cards now that the disasters have passed but it is no longer a priority.
"We'll probably go up there in two months' time," Davis said. "We're enjoying Sydney, so it could have been worse, it's worked out OK."
"We saw all the floods and thought we might be in danger," said Ben Davis, 21, who's in Australia on a year-long work and holiday visa with his girlfriend, Danielle Hodgson.
The English couple planned a short jaunt to Sydney before heading to the tropical paradise of Australia's northeast coast. But one week has turned into six - and counting - as they watched first one, then a second natural disaster unfold in Queensland state and decided Sydney was a safer bet.
The sudden change of plans is a small example of a bigger problem for Queensland as it recovers from weeks of deadly flooding and from a massive cyclone.
The disasters have caused an abrupt image malfunction for the state, which includes some of the main drawcards in Australia's A$40 billion (US$40.1 billion) a year tourism industry. Almost 6 million tourists visited Australia last year, and more than half of them went to Queensland, lured by Great Barrier Reef, miles of pristine beaches and year-round warm weather.
"The vast majority of the tourism businesses in the state have been completely untouched by the disasters. The problem is the phone has stopped ringing," said Anthony Hayes, the head of the government-funded promotional body Tourism Queensland.
Itinerary changes and trip cancellations have cut Queensland tourism revenue by an estimated A$500 million since Christmas, said Daniel Gschwind, CEO of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council. Losses are still being assessed, but Gschwind expects that number to rise.
Tourism contributes A$9.2 billion to the Queensland economy each year and provides more than 220,000 jobs.
Tourism officials say it is too early to say whether images of the disasters have affected the number of foreign visitors traveling to Australia. Industry workers and tourists themselves say many that are already in the country are avoiding Queensland.
In recognition of the importance of the tourism industry, the Australian and Queensland governments have each contributed A$5 million for a support package aimed at attracting visitors back to the state, though Gschwind said more help was needed.
For Davis and Hodgson, making a trip to Queensland may be back on the cards now that the disasters have passed but it is no longer a priority.
"We'll probably go up there in two months' time," Davis said. "We're enjoying Sydney, so it could have been worse, it's worked out OK."
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