Qld ready for Chinese invasion as domestic visitors surge

From Chinese tourists to interstate migrants, it seems everyone wants a piece of southeast Queensland. Here’s why.

Chinese tourists are keen to get back to Queensland and Australia when the international borders open, The Star Entertainment Group chief Matt Bekier says.

The Star – which is spending $6 billon in Queensland, with $3.6 billion at Queens Wharf under construction in Brisbane and $2.4 billion on the Gold Coast, said despite political tensions, a sentiment survey of major “tier 1” cities in China showed affluent Chinese tourists had Australia at the top of their list for where they wanted to visit.

Mr Bekier said booked-out Gold Coast accommodation and solid Brisbane numbers were proof Aussies will holiday at home when they are locked out of international travel, but they still need to be given value for money.

The Courier-Mail is presenting the Build Queensland campaign in partnership with Master Builders, The Star Entertainment Group, Brisbane Airport, Inland Rail, Cross River Rail, Transurban and Urbis to highlight the opportunities and challenges facing Queensland.

“Particularly out of Asia, and particularly the more affluent tourists, is going to come back,” Mr Bekier said.

“They all want to come to Australia.

“As soon as the borders open up, I expect all of this is going to come back and go back to the way it was before.

Executive chef Uday Huja at Nineteen at The Star. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“In the short term, we are focused on domestic tourism and that is going great.

“The Gold Coast in particular is writing record numbers, and Brisbane is looking very solid.

“What I hope comes out of COVID is a longer term realisation for the Australian travellers is that Australia has to great destinations to offer.

“We as a tourism sector need to build for long term growth and not just for this brief bubble where everyone is Australia is looking for a place to go and you can’t go overseas.”

Mr Bekier said the first sections of Queens Wharf would open next year, “pretty good timing” for the return of flights and international tourists.

“Southeast Queensland is the place to be in Australia,” he said.

“There’s strong migration into SEQ, with that you get economic growth.”

He said major tourism drawcards like The Star created huge demand from suppliers and producers, and also attracted travellers, particularly convention visitors, who then travelled to other Queensland destinations as well.

“The whole state benefits,” Mr Bekier said.

“That produces jobs not just in the cities but out in the regions.”

Tourism Events Queensland chief executive Leanne Coddington said domestic tourists were beginning to spend more, paying for more expensive travel experiences like helicopter tours that had traditionally been the preserve of big-spending international tourists.