The program brings together inspiring role models from across Queensland tourism who visit classrooms, attend career expos and connect directly with young people preparing to enter further education or employment. By sharing their own experiences and career pathways, the Leaders showcase the diversity of opportunities available across the industry, from events, aviation and hospitality to ecotourism, marine tourism, marketing and business development. Through these conversations, they aim to energise an emerging workforce and demonstrate that tourism is a career filled with opportunity, creativity and purpose.

For 2026 Young Tourism Leader Brittany Wassing, GBR Biology Operations Supervisor in Tropical North Queensland, tourism offered the perfect combination of lifestyle, purpose and connection to the environment. A lifelong love of the outdoors first sparked her interest in the industry, but it was the ability to create meaningful experiences for visitors that inspired her to build a long-term career in tourism.

“I’ve always loved doing the kinds of activities people usually save for holidays,” Brittany says. “The idea that this could be a career was incredibly appealing.”

Working in marine tourism has allowed Brittany to combine environmental stewardship with storytelling, helping visitors develop a deeper understanding of the Great Barrier Reef and the importance of protecting it for future generations.

“Tourism allows us to inspire curiosity, share meaningful stories, and create immersive experiences that leave a lasting impact on people,” she says.

For Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre Research and Business Development Executive Luke Harding, the foundations of his tourism career were built on the Sunshine Coast. Growing up in a tourism driven community, Luke quickly recognised the impact the industry had on both visitors and locals. His first experiences working in a local café introduced him to people from all walks of life and sparked a passion for creating memorable experiences.

That passion eventually led him into the hotel and events sector, where he consciously embraced every opportunity that came his way. Long hours, busy periods and challenging experiences helped build the confidence and resilience that shaped his career progression at a young age. Luke believes those early experiences taught him the importance of backing yourself and stepping outside your comfort zone.

“For me, being a young leader is about helping give our generation a voice,” Luke says. “Over time I realised how much value young people actually bring.”

Luke is particularly excited about the opportunities Brisbane 2032 will create for the tourism industry and the next generation of professionals entering the sector. He believes young people beginning their careers now will help shape Queensland’s global reputation in the lead up to the Games and beyond.

“For me, being a young leader is about helping give our generation a voice” – Luke Harding

“People entering tourism now, especially under 25, will be the leaders by the time the Games arrive,” he says. “It’s a once in a lifetime chance to get involved.”

Jeremy Miller’s pathway into tourism was less traditional, but no less impactful. After relocating to Longreach in 2022 for his wife’s career opportunity, Jeremy reached out to the Qantas Founders Museum looking for work and quickly discovered he had found an industry that combined connection and adventure.

Since then, his career has taken him across multiple tourism experiences and businesses, from aviation tourism and distillery experiences to events and destination promotion. Along the way, Jeremy has embraced the diversity and spontaneity that make tourism unlike any other industry.

“I’ve spent my days climbing over jumbo jets, giving tours to media, billionaires and politicians, taste testing gins, running pop up bars at the Birdsville Races and now travelling the country meeting tourism teams at Visitor Information Centres,” Jeremy says. “In what other industry could you do all of that?”

Jeremy hopes sharing his story through the Young Tourism Leaders Program will help young people understand there is no single pathway into tourism and that personality, passion and curiosity are often the most valuable assets.

“You can start literally anywhere and end up in any role imaginable,” he says. “Any journey in tourism is the right one if it’s something you’re passionate about.”

Through programs like Young Tourism Leaders, QTIC is helping young people discover the many pathways a career in tourism can offer, while giving emerging industry professionals the opportunity to share their experiences, connect with future talent and inspire the next generation of Queensland tourism leaders.

The Young Tourism Leaders program is proudly supported by the Queensland Government and Tourism and Events Queensland.