$20 million Regional Tourism fund aims to lure visitors away from southeast Qld

The state government has opened up a $20 million fund for regional tourism, open to operators outside the state’s southeast.

Virgin and Qantas planes at Cairns Airport. The state government has opened up a $20m Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP)

The state government has opened up a $20m fund for regional tourism, but the Opposition claims celebrating it is like “paying your electricity bill.”

Barron River MP Bree James and Mulgrave MP Terry James said the Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund would offer grants up to $300,000 per project with no co-investment from proponents required, aimed at operators outside of southeast Queensland.

“If you’ve got a great idea, we’d love you to pitch it to us,” Ms James said.

Her southern neighbour Mr James described the fund as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.”

“With the 2032 Games on the horizon, we’re ensuring that our tourism offerings encourage people to stay and soak up what Queensland has to offer,” he said.

TTNQ chief executive Mark Olsen, Barron River MP Bree James and Mulgrave MP Terry James are welcoming ideas for the $20m Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

TTNQ chief executive Mark Olsen encouraged local operators to hit the phones and engage with his organisation to grab their share of the $20m fund.

“Let’s help you secure these funds, there’s isn’t a better program in Australia to boost regional tourism,” he said.

The fund was aimed at supporting projects that helped attract more visitors, encourage longer stays, and increase visitor spending in communities outside of south east Queensland.

Mr Olsen said the Far North was primed to boost its offerings in the adventure tourism space.

“We reckon we are the adventure sports capital of the world, but I’d love to see our Indigenous tourism experiences come forward, and agritourism experiences particularly on the Tablelands, Cassowary Coast and Douglas Shire.”

Soft serve ice cream with strawberry plantation Shaylee Strawberry Farm. One of the region’s many agritourism offerings. Photo: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.

Former Tourism Minister and Cairns MP Michael Healy said he welcomed the fund but said that was because it was a “re-announcement” of a Labor initiative.

“It’s a wonderful announcement, but there’s nothing new in this announcement,” he said.

“It’s like celebrating paying your electricity bill each year.”

“If you want to look at how tourism is going in this town, you have to look at the airport because 87 per cent of our tourists come off a plane,” he said.

The Member for Cairns Michael Healy says the state government has not done enough to attract new airlines to the Far North. Picture: Dan Peled / NewsWire

“They’re the ones that are going to pay for these assets (built through the RTIF).

“We’re not seeing any new airlines come in. Fiji was an announcement under the former government, they just started during this government.

“But we’re going backwards, we’ve lost AirAsia.”

Mr Healy said he questioned the tourism minister during budget estimates regarding the benefits delivered by the government’s Connecting Queensland Fund.

“He has basically read off the list everything that the previous government had done.

“Aviation is fundamental to our tourism industry here and fundamental to our economy … and we’re hearing nothing from this government in relation to what they’re doing in the aviation area.”

Applications for the RTIF close on November 12, with successful applicants to be announced in February 2026.

Originally published as $20 million Regional Tourism fund aims to lure visitors away from southeast Qld