Delay to school return will bring millions to Qld tourism economy

Queensland’s move to a later start to the school year in 2025 is set to deliver the state’s tourism industry a $250 million windfall in a huge boost for the sector.

Queensland’s move to a later start to the school year in 2025 is set to deliver the state’s tourism industry a $250 million windfall in a huge boost for the sector.

Traditionally, Queensland school kids have gone on summer holidays in early December, returning to class in mid-January while the rest of the country enjoys an extra week or two on vacation.

However, the move to delay the school start until January 28 next year will not only bring Queensland more in line with other states – but could also deliver a huge boost to the tourism industry.

According to data from Tourism Research Australia, domestic travel in January is worth much more to the economy than December with holiday spending, visitor numbers and length of stay all significantly higher.

A later return to school could bring big tourism dollars.

But next year’s calendar means an extra week of holidays in January, which could deliver a $250m surge in travel spending for Queensland families wanting to make the most of the summer season.

Tourism leaders have long believed the weeks after Christmas Day are the most popular for domestic holiday-makers and the relatively low numbers for December suggests what many Queensland families have long known – that vacations take a back seat in the chaotic rush to be ready for Christmas.

In December 2022, domestic travel generated $2.7 billion for the Queensland economy, while January 2023 delivered $4.1b.

A similar discrepancy flows back to before the coronavirus pandemic, with January 2019 delivering 12 million domestic visitor nights for Queensland while December recorded only 7.6 million.

The gap is also significant when comparing only Queenslanders, or intrastate travellers, with a difference of almost $400m between spending in December and January in the summer of 2019-20.

Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Brett Fraser said January was of huge importance to the tourism sector.

“January is the peak holiday period for many of our tourism operators (and) the windfall from a successful summer season helps a lot of businesses get through the quieter February and March months,” he said.

Tourism boss Brett Fraser.

“Extending the January holiday period and maximising the stay for holiday-makers is a welcome move by our industry.”

The move will also avoid a major bugbear of teachers and families where the Queensland school year often starts days before the Australia Day public holiday, creating a stop-start beginning to term one.

A spokesman for the Queensland Department of Education said school holidays were “developed in line with the Queensland public holidays and in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders”.

“The setting of term dates is undertaken approximately three years in advance to assist forward planning for schools, school communities and the broader public,” the statement said.

“The school calendar for 2021-2025 was developed in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders during August 2017.”