Tourism

The Queensland tourism industry has the opportunity to demonstrate best practice sustainability and build on Queensland’s reputation as a first-class tourism destination.

Reducing operating costs, meeting changing consumer and industry demands, providing a competitive sustainability focus, and increasing resilience to extreme climate events will ensure Queensland retains its attractiveness for domestic and international tourism.

Government action

  • Investments

  • Actions

    • The Queensland Government requires commercial tourism facility operators and specific holders of long-term Commercial Activity Agreements working in protected areas to have ecotourism certification, which involves measuring their carbon footprint, benchmarking resource use and identifying options to reduce emissions. National Parks is also progressing certification for the rest of its gateway visitor centres with Mon Repo already complete.
    • In 2022 the Queensland Government launched the Eco-certified Tourism Destination Program, providing grant funding to 16 successful recipients including councils and regional and local tourism organisations, to support attainment of either Ecotourism Australia or EarthCheck destination-level certification.
    • The Queensland Government delivered Australia’s first sustainable aviation fuel in 2019. The biojet fuel has been used in over 195 flights spanning 430,000km of domestic and international routes. This project was delivered in collaboration with Virgin Australia, Brisbane Airport Corporation, US-based biofuel producer Gevo and supply chain partners Caltex and DB Schenker.
    • A joint partnership between the Queensland Government and Griffith Institute for Tourism produced an industry first research report, Carbon footprint of tourism destinations in Queensland (PDF, 623KB) (Griffith Institute for Tourism Research Report No 17).

  • Plans

    • The industry-led Building a resilient tourism industry: Queensland Tourism Climate Change Response Plan (PDF, 3.3MB) launched by the Queensland Tourism Industry Council in May 2018, provides a roadmap for the tourism industry to respond proactively to climate change, and to lead the way as a steward for the environment and a key contributor to community wellbeing.
    • The stakeholder-led Biodiversity and Ecosystems Climate Adaptation Plan (PDF, 2.6MB) identifies and prioritises actions to improve the resilience of these natural assets that are so critical to the Queensland tourism industry.
    • The Tourism Industry Reference Panel’s Final Action Plan signals the start of the next chapter to help future-proof Queensland’s visitor economy in a more positive tale after COVID-19. The plan outlines key recommendations for the next decade which aligns with Queensland hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Climate action projects

View all climate action projects

Jobs and skills for Queensland’s future

Existing initiatives to help create jobs and skill Queenslanders for future opportunities in the tourism sector include:

  • Building a resilient tourism industry: Queensland tourism climate change response plan (PDF, 3.3MB), an industry-led roadmap to prepare the tourism industry to respond to climate risks and opportunities.
  • The Advancing Regional Innovation Program encourages innovation across Queensland, and supports local economies to create jobs for regional Queenslanders. Twelve Queensland regions have access to a dedicated fund of $500,000 each. The fund enables local entrepreneurs, business leaders and key industries to collaborate closely and with government to harness innovation and unlock business potential, strengthen existing industries and prepare regional Queenslanders for jobs of the future.
  • The Great Barrier Reef Island Resorts Rejuvenation Program commits $25 million to rejuvenate island resorts, focusing on growing, greening and cleaning to improve sustainability practices.
  • The Queensland Government provides targeted investment through a number of vocational education and training programs to assist the tourism industry to train and upskill their current and future workforce and provide apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities.
  • The Queensland Government has partnered with the Queensland College of Wine Tourism to help young people make a successful transition from school into further education and/or employment in the food, wine and tourism industries through the Food, Wine and Tourism Gateway to Industry Schools project. Through the project students learn about career opportunities through a blend of school, vocational and academic curricula targeted to industry needs.

What you can do

Community, business and industry are encouraged to take action to harness opportunities in a low carbon future.

Read about the Queensland Government’s current grants and funding opportunities.

More sectors

  • Energy

    The Queensland Government’s commitment to unlock renewable investment and achieve our renewable energy target of 50% by 2030 is a key mechanism to support our emissions reduction targets.

  • Resources

    The production of wind turbines, solar cells, batteries and high-tech devices like mobile phones offers opportunities for Queensland’s resources sector. ‘New economy minerals’ like copper, cobalt and graphite are critical to these products and place Queensland in a unique position to contribute to the developing high-tech, low carbon economy.

  • Manufacturing

    The manufacturing sector underpins many other sectors of the Queensland economy, making it important that new technologies and practices are adopted to enhance production and competitiveness.

  • Transport

    The shift to zero-emission vehicles, including batteries, fuel cells and biofuels, and complementary industries, such as the manufacture of green hydrogen and sustainable mining of essential minerals, can create new manufacturing businesses and jobs. There are also wider benefits from a zero emission future including lower transport costs and improved air quality that will contribute to more liveable and resilient Queensland communities.

  • Land and Agriculture

    The shift to a low-carbon future presents significant opportunities for Queensland’s land and agriculture sector and its supply chain to deliver productivity, profitability and environmental benefits.

  • Built environment

    The opportunity to develop more efficient and climate resilient buildings and infrastructure will reduce running costs and avoid expensive reconstruction in the long term.

  • Tourism

    The Queensland tourism industry has the opportunity to demonstrate best practice sustainability and build on Queensland’s reputation as a first-class tourism destination.