A REPORT by the Australian Government shows that the mining boom has had positive impacts on Queensland’s tourism.
Queensland Resources Council CEO Michael Roche said particularly during the global financial crisis, demand from the resources sector for air travel and accommodation resulted in expanded air services to the regions and between major cities, and increased revenue for hotels.
“The upswing in the sector also boosted national incomes, creating increased discretionary spending on leisure travel at home and abroad,” Mr Roche said.
“While it’s acknowledged that the higher Australian dollar had made overseas travel more attractive for Australians compared to domestic travel, and our sector may have contributed to competition for labour, on the whole the benefits of the resources sector spending have far outweighed the negatives.
“For example, new routes have been developed between Brisbane and Gladstone and Brisbane and Emerald, underpinned by demand from the resources sector.”
Mr Roche added Queensland’s resources sector contributes one in four dollars of the state’s economy and one in five jobs, and supports 17,000 Queensland businesses.
“The benefits are spread to almost every postcode,” he said.
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