Premier Palaszczuk 'blocks' interstate visitors from 'desperate Qld tourism industry'

Queensland Tourism Industry Council's David Gschwind says as soon as Premier Palaszczuk opens the state’s borders, the millions of Australians who travel internationally each year may help to replace the tourism lost by border closures.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk recently announced she did not intend to open Queensland to the rest of Australia before September, but has committed to reviewing lockdown restrictions each month.

Mr Gschwind said the roadmap to recovery released by the Queensland government “indicated a somewhat speedier than previously anticipated recovery pace”.

“We a still keeping our fingers crossed that the borders will open way before September,” he said.

“Hopefully the very, very low infections rates that are now prevalent around Australia will give her and the chief health officer the confidence to actually open the borders”.

The premier’s decision was not taken well by the state’s large tourism industry which is worth approximately 18 billion dollars each year.

Mr Gschwind said “tens of thousands of businesses employ about a quarter of a million people in normal times”.

He said the domestic tourism market for Queensland was “enormous”.

“As soon as we can get that revenue stream flowing again the better,” he said.

Image: News Corp Australia

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