Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World has long been known for its breathtaking views and memorable visitor experiences. Now, it’s also showing what truly inclusive tourism can look like.

With a $25,000 Accessible Tourism Infrastructure Grant, supported by a QTIC Letter of Support, the Gardens purchased two wheelchair-accessible golf buggies designed to tackle its expansive and steep terrain.

Combined with a further $75,000 from the business, the project grew into a much broader accessibility upgrade, including accessible toilets, concreted pathways and improvements across the buggy fleet.

For General Manager Verena Olesch, the difference has been significant.

“The buggies are now an integral part of our visitor experience,” Verena said. “They’ve opened the Gardens to new visitor groups, including people with disability, seniors and multigenerational families.”

But perhaps the greatest impact has been seeing what these changes mean for visitors.

“Several wheelchair users have shared how meaningful it was to be able to explore the Gardens alongside family and friends, rather than being limited to certain areas,” Verena said.

For the Gardens, securing funding was an important part of turning their accessibility plans into reality, and having QTIC’s backing helped strengthen their case.

“Receiving a QTIC Letter of Support was very important,” Verena said. “It strengthened our application and gave us confidence that the project aligned with broader tourism and accessibility priorities.”

Letters of Support are one of the ways QTIC helps members pursue new opportunities. Members can request one for funding applications, award nominations, advocacy and more.

For Maleny Botanic Gardens, that support helped contribute to something lasting: a visitor experience that more people can enjoy, together.