Queensland continues to lure more tourists away from southern states, recording the highest growth rate in international visitors for the year ending March 2005.
Tourism Minister Margaret Keech says the latest Tourism Research Australia figures saw Queensland crack 2 million international visitors for the first time in five years, and leaves other states behind in terms of growth.
"Queensland recorded a 13.4% growth in international visitor numbers this year, with New South Wales and Victoria recording lower rates of 11.5 and 8.4% respectively," she says.
"Queensland continues to increase its international tourist marketshare and you can rest assured the competition is looking over its shoulder with anticipation - Queensland is gaining fast."
Keech says Queensland is gaining momentum in a number of key markets.
"New Zealand led the charge with a 27.6% increase in visitors (up from 308,394 to 393,592) followed by the European market (excluding the United Kingdom and Germany) with an increase of 16.4% (up from 153,809 to 178,988) between the year ended March 2004 and 2005," she says.
"The United Kingdom, Japan and the United States of America also recorded increases of 9% (267,262 to 291,336 visitors), 7.1% (427,777 to 458,108 visitors) and 6.3% (140,342 to 149,207 visitors) respectively.
"However, of those markets we consider to be emerging, China is definitely the shining light. The number of Chinese visitors to Queensland in the year ended March 2005 increased significantly - up 52.4% (from 82,864 to 126,312).
"It's great to see our key markets powering on, particularly in the regions where there was growth across the board.
"Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine Coasts and Tropical North Queensland all saw positive increases in international visitor numbers, with the Gold Coast recording the most impressive growth."
Keech says the Gold Coast figures for international visitors for the year ended March 2005 were up 19.8% (831,290), with Brisbane and the Tropical North still recording the highest visitation figures for the state (up 9.9% to 854,562 and up 11.9% to 835,929 respectively).
The growth in figures prove the government's aviation strategy is paying dividends, she adds.
"The Beattie government has worked hard through Tourism Queensland to increase international air capacity into the ‘smart state' in the past 12 months, and Queensland operators are beginning to reap the rewards," she says.
"The tourism industry in Queensland is as strong as ever and will no doubt continue to flourish as more air capacity is made available to travellers wishing to holiday in Queensland.
"The more direct flights to Queensland, the more competitive we are as a destination offering visitors a convenient and affordable alternative to other Asia-Pacific destinations."