QUEENSLAND PROMOTED AS MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EVENT DESTINATION

Queensland’s global reputation as a preeminent major event destination has been bolstered at a gathering of large British firms in London.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events Jann Stuckey invited them to explore investment possibilities in Queensland, opening opportunities to create local jobs.

“The Queensland Government is working hard to grow tourism and events as we promised at the election, after years of neglect by Labor,” Ms Stuckey said.

“This is a great opportunity for me to encourage overseas operators to increase their footprint in Australia and inspire them to partner with Queensland companies to pursue business opportunities.

“Queensland is a great state with great and varied major events opportunities and bringing more of them to our state will significantly boost the economy and create hundreds of jobs.

“I’ve made sure everyone I meet overseas knows that Queensland has the best resources and facilities to conduct major events and conventions, encouraging British companies to consider our State as an exciting host destination.

“The Queensland Government’s 20-year plan for tourism, Destination Success, is just one part of our strong plan for a brighter future.

“It outlines the need to deliver innovative and unique experiences to drive repeat visitation, using events to activate and showcase our iconic natural experiences.

“As we look toward the G20 Leaders Summit in November, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 where Queensland will host three matches, the AFC Asia Cup Australia 2015 in which Queensland will host seven matches and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, now is an ideal time for major international events to leverage business opportunities to expand their operations in Queensland.

“Major events supported by Tourism and Events Queensland in 2013-14 generated 750,000 direct visitor nights and expenditure of $200 million.

“The Queensland Government is committed to attracting major international events in Queensland, having secured a number of high-profile events through TEQ including the 2014 and 2016 UCI Mountain Bike World Cups and 2017 UCI Mountain Bike Trials and Championships in Cairns and the 2016 Ironman World 70.3 Championship on the Sunshine Coast.”