Building a “globally recognised” brand for Brisbane around which to position its wider tourism industry has been outlined by a committee of more than 500 representatives aimed at encouraging visitors to stay longer and spend more in the city.
Comprised of tourism operators, investors, industry advocacy bodies, local councils and government partners, the ‘Visitor Economy 2031 Vision for the Brisbane Region’ plan is an all-encompassing strategy designed to draw greater numbers of holidaymakers, students, business travellers, major events and those visiting friends and relatives.
Objectives behind the brand development exercise will include the ideation and execution of a city-wide narrative which captures the essence of Brisbane and can be shared globally. This would be supported by a $10 million cooperative marketing program targeting North America and ASEAN countries which offer direct flights into Brisbane. The Queensland Government, Brisbane Airport and Brisbane Marketing have all signed on to cooperate in the strategy.
Forecasts from tourism modelling show nearly 90 per cent of total visitor spend and visitor numbers will come from regional intrastate markets, interstate capital cities and Queensland’s top six international source markets – China, India, North America, Korea, Japan and the UK.
In addition, infrastructure initiatives will be supported including the Brisbane City Council’s River Access Network, which aims to open up the seaway to new tourism operations which make use of the river, similar to whale watching. Local businesses will be incentivised through the Lord Mayor’s Experience Development Grant Program, with funding assistance on offer to exciting new experiences which will enhance the city’s appeal.
Brisbane Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner, said the Master Plan would help to unlock the full potential of the city.
“Brisbane is transforming through $12 billion worth of new developments including Brisbane’s new runway, International Cruise Ship Terminal and Queen’s Wharf Brisbane.
“Along with our region’s beautiful climate, welcoming nature and global connectedness, there is potential to secure an additional $6.5bn a year in visitor expenditure and support 50,000 new jobs.
“In Brisbane, we know there is more to see and do in our region than ever before, but now we need to work together to create a globally recognised Brisbane brand and remarkable experiences to give visitors even more reason to stay and spend in our region,” he added.