Queensland needs a tourism plan that protects nature

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Queensland’s national parks, unique wildlife, and living cultural landscapes should be the envy of the world, but they are largely unknown compared to major destinations in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

Queensland’s tourism future must center on protecting and restoring Queensland’s unique biodiversity. We face a clear choice: safeguard the animals, plants and places people cherish, or watch our spectacular natural environment degrade into a museum of failure. A place marked by memorials for koalas, gliders, dugongs, and quolls that once thrived. A place where the Great Barrier Reef, once vibrant and colorful, was now a mere memory.

Thank you to the 165 people who made submissions to this consultation through our website in February 2025.

Read QCC's submission to the Queensland Government's Destination 2045 consultation (PDF 450k)

Speak up for nature protection

Please use this form to let the Minister for Environment and Tourism and your local Member of Parliament know what you expect from a 20-year plan for tourism in Queensland. We need nature protection, expansion and world class management of protected areas to be at the top of the agenda, not forgotten.

Your message will be sent to the Minister and your state MP.

CC: Destination2045 consultation
 Our tourism future must center on protecting and restoring Queensland's unique biodiversity.
We face a clear choice: safeguard the animals, plants, and landscapes people cherish, with real plans to restore their habitats, or watch our tourism turn into a museum of failure. A place marked by memorials for koalas, gliders, dugongs, and quolls - once thriving here. A place where the Great Barrier Reef, once vibrant and colorful, is now a mere memory.
Nature is the tourism sector's greatest drawcard and Queenslanders' greatest asset. The future of nature-based tourism is the focus of my submission, providing feedback to questions in the 'ecotourism' section of the discussion paper.
To achieve a vibrant tourism sector that celebrates and protects our natural and cultural heritage, the Crisafulli Government needs to ensure that:
<ol>
<li>Queensland continue its strong tradition of tourism developments such as new accommodation nearby or adjacent to national parks, not within them;</li>
<li>Traditional Owners are at the heart of nature based tourism on their country and lead decisions about appropriate infrastructure and appropriate location of tourism destinations;</li>
<li>Priority tourism destination areas or 'eco opportunities' to benefit regional Queensland communities are identified in collaboration with regional community including conservation, recreation and Traditional Owner representatives;</li>
<li>Additional investment in visitor management within national parks to match increasing visitation.</li>
<li>Rangers are empowered and funded to manage national parks for their biodiversity and cultural heritage values, to a world class standard.</li>
</ol>
We agree that Queensland's national parks, unique wildlife and living cultural landscapes should be the envy of the world - but they are largely unknown compared to major destinations in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
Tourism can help drive conservation if done well, but if plans and proposals are pushed through before community support has been achieved, they will be mired in conflict. Poorly sited tourism developments such as the proposed cableway through Springbrook National Park and World Heritage Area go ahead biodiversity impacts can be significantly impacted, damaging the State's tourism brand.
I urge the Crisafulli Government refrain from driving specific development concepts before a robust regional process for identifying ecotourism opportunities has been meaningfully implemented.

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