QTIC Unveils Bold Plans to Boost Queensland Tourism Ahead of Brisbane 2032

Monday 8 September 2025: The Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) has today unveiled its new Strategic Plan 2025–2028 and Advocacy Plan 2025–26, charting a bold path to strengthen Queensland’s visitor economy in the lead-up to Brisbane 2032 and beyond. The plans are especially significant for regions such as the Whitsundays, which rely heavily on tourism and are preparing for increased visitor numbers in the coming years.

QTIC CEO Natassia Wheeler said the plans demonstrate QTIC’s role as the trusted voice of the state’s visitor economy, aligning directly with the government’s Destination45 long-term vision for the sector.

“Our vision is to be the trusted voice that champions Queensland as the undisputed leader in the global visitor economy by 2045. These plans show exactly how we will achieve that – by uniting industry voices, elevating our members, driving innovation, and accelerating outcomes,” Wheeler said.

“Collaboration is at the heart of these plans. QTIC recognises the critical role of Tourism and Events Queensland, regional and local tourism organisations, all levels of government and industry. By working together in a proactive, outcomes-driven way, we can ensure Queensland’s visitor economy thrives to 2032 and beyond,” she added.

The Strategic Plan 2025–2028 is structured around four pillars – Powerful Advocacy, Member-Led Engagement, Empowering Industry Capability, and Organisational Excellence – designed to ensure QTIC delivers clear value to members, builds industry capability and workforce, and remains future-ready.

The Advocacy Plan 2025–26 operationalises this strategy through five clear priorities: securing sustainable visitor economy funding; tackling rising costs for business; boosting investment in tourism infrastructure; growing a skilled and resilient workforce; and enabling growth in ecotourism and sustainable practices.

In relation to tackling rising costs for businesses, insurance reform is identified in the strategy as an issue QTIC aims to address, becoming top of mind as the state prepares for upcoming weather events over summer. Wheeler said QTIC has heard from operators whose public liability premiums have surged from $2,000 to $75,000, or from $16,000 to $500,000 – in some cases with excesses as high as $1 million. Some businesses have resorted to self-insuring, while others have been unable to secure coverage at all.

“Insurance is no longer just a cost of doing business – it has become a barrier to viability for some operators,” Wheeler said. “Without action, the sustainability of some of Queensland’s most recognisable visitor experiences is at risk. That’s why this issue sits within our advocacy priorities.”

The plans also highlight the urgent need for tourism infrastructure investment, which is particularly relevant for popular regions such as the Whitsundays. South East Queensland currently has just 46,000 hotel rooms – less than half of Los Angeles (120,000) and Paris (133,000). Even with committed developments, capacity is expected to grow to only 51,000 rooms by 2030, leaving Queensland significantly short of what is needed to meet demand as Brisbane 2032 approaches. QTIC is advocating for streamlined planning, cutting red tape, and creating clear investment pathways without impediments.

“Queensland is attracting more visitors, more often, for longer stays – but our infrastructure is not keeping pace,” Wheeler said. “Hotel capacity, transport links, and tourism infrastructure must expand now to match our ambitions for 2032 and beyond.”

Both the QTIC Strategic Plan 2025–2028 and the QTIC Advocacy Plan 2025–26 can be read in full at www.qtic.com.au