At the board meeting we focused on the federal grant that underpins Quality Tourism Accreditation – one of the most accessible and powerful tools for small businesses. Accreditation supports operators to strengthen foundations in planning, risk management, sustainability and accessibility.

The national Top Tourism Town Awards at Parliament House are vital because they:

• Raise the profile of regional towns and guides nationally
• Showcase stories of excellence directly to policymakers
• Bring regional Australia into the heart of Canberra

Queensland was proudly represented by Joel McPherson (Tour Guide of the Year finalist), and Town of 1770, Bowen and Airlie Beach – with 1770 and Airlie Beach taking home national bronze. Our thanks to the Queensland delegation of operators, mayors, councils and our sponsor Airbnb, who together amplified Queensland’s presence.

We also met with key federal leaders including Minister for Trade and Tourism the Hon Don Farrell, Assistant Tourism Minister Nita Green, Andrew Willcox MP, Terry Young MP, and Senator Murray Watt’s office. Together, we were also joined by Queensland’s Tourism Minister, the Hon Andrew Powell. Having a Minister who is consistently present, engaged and deeply connected with our industry is a real advantage for Queensland.

Yesterday we officially launched the Quality Tourism eLearning Hub – a new national online training platform developed with eLearning specialists, etrainu.

The Hub provides short, practical courses that are free for accredited operators under the Quality Tourism Framework. Topics range from sustainability and customer service to digital marketing, pricing strategy and accessibility. Managers can assign training, track staff progress, and download team reports – making it an invaluable low-cost development tool for SMEs and regional operators.

This platform has been designed around the reality of tourism businesses: time-poor, resource-stretched, but needing content that is short, sharp and directly useful. We’re proud to see this now live and already being trialled across the state. More information in this newsletter!

Today we also hosted the Queensland–China Tourism Boardroom Lunch with the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Brisbane, Consul-General Dr Ruan Zongze.

The lunch brought together government leaders, corporate partners and industry voices to explore two-way opportunities:

• Attracting and facilitating greater Chinese visitation to Queensland, including aviation connectivity and capacity
• Leveraging Brisbane 2032 to position Queensland as a world-class training and event destination

We were honoured to welcome Dr Ruan and his team, Minister Andrew Powell, and our QTIC Chair Elsa D’Alessio, alongside leaders across industry and government. The significance of this conversation lies in its timing – China continues to be one of Queensland’s most important inbound markets, and our partnerships now will shape recovery and growth through the decade ahead.

QTIC’s Tourism in the House was another stand-out moment this fortnight, with nearly 300 people gathering at Queensland Parliament.

The event shone a light on the operators, businesses and communities that power our visitor economy – from the laundry in downtown Airlie Beach to the service station fuelling family road trips. It was a reminder that tourism is the quiet enabler of jobs, small business and thriving communities.

My thanks to our sponsors, event partners, and the QTIC team who brought the evening together. More than a celebration, it was a call to action for industry and government alike: to champion Queensland tourism and be active participants in shaping its future.

This week, QTIC joined the Big Sound Events Insurance Roundtable, tackling one of the most significant challenges for our events sector: securing affordable and accessible insurance. This issue was also raised in my discussions in Canberra earlier this week, and remains a top priority for us federally and at home.

Our Boardroom Lunch series continues on Saturday hosting Minister Don Farrell to discuss important federal priorities.

We now look ahead to Riverfire this weekend – a spectacular celebration of Brisbane and the experiences our states capital offers. Wherever you are in Queensland, have a fabulous weekend ahead.