Benefits of Tourism

Tourism is Queensland’s second largest export earner, generating $14 billion a year in revenue for the state (including day-visitor expenditure and directly employing over 150,000 people.

Tourism provides communities with an opportunity to display their region’s distinct and unique cultural and natural assets while creating employment and diversifying the regional economy. A diverse economy is one that can cope with the changes experienced in our current environment.

At the local and regional level, the industry comprises tourism operators, businesses not directly involved in tourism, local and regional tourism organisations, community groups, residents and local government. By working together destinations have the capacity to attract visitors, satisfy their leisure needs and expectations, and generate economic and social benefits for the whole community.

Hotels, motels, restaurants, coach services, and the like, not only pay wages, but, also buy goods and engage other services locally. A large part of the income of such enterprises is spent locally and, the tourists have other requirements: food, clothing, refreshments, hairdressing, medical services, transportation, souvenirs and amusements. There is no limit to the variety and extent of visitor expenditure. The benefits from this expenditure flow to everyone in the community.

Multiplier Effect: Visitors to an area purchase goods and services. This spending injects new dollars into the local economy. A percentage of each new dollar is spent in the community by the recipient and this is spent in the community by the recipient and this is spent and re-spent, creating a ‘multiplier effect’. When more tourist dollars enter a local economy and a larger percentage is retained locally, the economic benefit is greater.

Employment Opportunities: Tourism is a labour-intensive industry and creates more job opportunities, encouraging young people to stay in local communities.

Diversification: Tourism can provide diversification, strengthening the local economy by making it less reliant on single traditional base, such as agriculture or mining which are subject to commodity price fluctuations. This is particularly significant for our rural communities.

Improved Facilities for Residents: Growth in tourism results in new and expanded infrastructure, services and facilities which benefits residents. Tourism also generates improved financial viability for community-owned facilities such as clubs and sporting venues.

Opportunities for Business: Tourism creates opportunities to establish new products, facilities and services, and expand existing businesses which would not otherwise be sustainable based on the resident population alone.

Preservation of the Environment, Culture and Heritage: Tourism highlights the need for proper management. Through effective policies, planning and research, tourism can ensure that the environment, heritage and indigenous culture of an area are preserved. Interpretation of nature-based and heritage product is an important educational vehicle for promoting a better understanding of environmental and heritage values to a diverse population.

In this Section

Member Benefits
How we work for you

tick Industry Training
tick Industry Representation
tick Marketing
tick Media and Publicity

Benefits

tick Benefits of Tourism
tick Why do we need a Regional     approach

Our Core Responsibilities

To facilitate our core responsibilities, OQTA continues to develop the following four areas of management:

  • Industry Training, Development and Research
  • Industry Representation & Partnerships
  • Marketing
  • Media & Publicity