In a bid to attract more local tourists back to one of Queensland’s most popular tourism destinations, The Palaszczuk has launched 30,000 tourism vouchers worth $100 each, to be redeemed by tourists when they visit the Gold Coast.
The purpose of the initiative is to help businesses recover from the impacts of the covid-19 pandemic and is the next stage being rolled out as part of Queensland’s Holiday Dollars program.
The tourism campaign is a joint venture between the Queensland government and Destination Gold Coast.
“Campaigns like this are an important part of our economic recovery plan, supporting local jobs and injecting funds back into Gold Coast businesses” said Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Not only is the Gold Coast one of Australia’s favourite holiday destinations, it was also on the bucket list of 1.1 million overseas visitors before the covid-19 shut the international border.
Queenslanders applying for the vouchers had 72 hours to enter the draw starting at midday on Monday, 7th June 2021.
The CEO of Destination Gold Coast CEO O’Callaghan believes that the Gold Coast Holiday Dollars program has already proved a great success when offered elsewhere in the state, including the Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.
“This initiative will provide a much-needed boost to operators especially those that are heavily reliant on international visitors. Stimulating domestic visitor demand and expenditure for our 4,600 tourism businesses is a priority,” Ms O’Callaghan said.
“From golden beaches to rainforest hinterland, theme parks and plethora of memorable experiences and attractions, now is the time to reconnect and relax with loved ones and friends in the Gold Coast.”
The Work in Paradise Campaign
Launched on Thursday 20th May, the “Work in Paradise” campaign intends to offer eligible workers $1500 in cash, travel vouchers worth up to $250 and low-cost accommodation in exchange for taking up a tourism job in regional Queensland.
The Queensland Government contends that this package aims to address the shortage of workers in the tourism industry, which has been badly impacted by the covid-19 pandemic.
This proposal will give chefs, bartenders, waiters, tour guides and deckhands an exciting opportunity to work on the Great Barrier Reef and other popular tourism destinations located across Queensland.
The incentives will be on offer for jobs in region north from Mackay as well as regions located inland west of Toowoomba.
Over the duration of the covid-19 pandemic, the Queensland Government has spent over $800 million to support the tourism industry. The sector is slowly recovering but there is still thousands of available job positions which desperately need to be filled to keep up with the influx of interstate tourists.
Destinations such as Port Douglas have the potential to benefit significantly from the government’s new incentives. Tourism Port Douglas has said in a statement to the media, that the region has been suffering from a serious shortage of staffing issues since November 2020.