LNP offers Gold Coast welcome tourism boost

The Opposition plan to inject $28 million into business events tourism would reverse Labor’s neglect of the struggling tourism sector, the LNP said today.

Shadow Minister for Tourism Ray Stevens said both state and federal Labor had ignored tourism, a major economic generator and employer on the Gold Coast.

“Martin Ferguson and Peter Lawlor have been missing in action when it came to supporting tourism in Queensland,” Mr Stevens said.

 “Tourism is one of the key drivers of Queensland’s economy yet in a tough climate economic when tourist destinations needed all the assistance they could get, our long-term Labor government slashed funding.

 “Steve Ciobo has been a constant champion of Queensland’s tourism sector because he knows the drastic effect Labor’s policies have had on his own electorate and the wider Gold Coast.

 “With the downturn in tourism and construction many individual workers and their families are suffering because their shifts at motels, resorts and attractions have been cut back.”

 Mr Stevens said Federal Labor had cut Tourism Australia’s funding from $140 million to $130 million, while State Labor was still attempting to claim its 20 per cent reduction in tourism funding was an ‘increase’.

“Tourism in Queensland has really slumped, thousands of jobs on the Gold Coast are at risk and all Labor has been prepared to do is cut funding,” he said.

“The injection of $28 million under a Coalition government to promote business events tourism will be a welcome boost for the Gold Coast, and will go a long way to reverse Labor’s long-term neglect of the tourism sector.”