Premier playing favourites on tourism boost

THE Queensland Premier’s cynical move to play favourites on travel incentives is a cruel blow to the Whitsundays.

It seems the Labor Premier has a biased view when it comes to Queensland tourist destinations struggling to survive the effects of COVID-19 travel lockdowns.

We have $200 travel vouchers on offer for those travelling to Cairns and Far North Queensland, but there’s nothing to assist the struggling Whitsundays.

Tourism industry representatives are telling me the issue in the Whitsundays is critical, and we know many businesses are on life support.

And yet they have been completely ignored by the Premier.

This isn’t the first time the State Labor Government had played favourites by supporting Cairns and ignoring the Whitsundays.

In the early days of the pandemic the Labor Premier provided subsidies for marina berthing fees for those in Cairns, while cries for help from the Whitsundays were ignored.

They were eventually tossed a paltry sum by comparison months later.

When asked about travel vouchers for the Whitsundays, the Premier gave a ‘not now, maybe later’ response, which is just not good enough.

All of our struggling tourism operators should receive the benefit of incentives at the same time, because this is when people are planning their travel ahead of peak holiday periods like Easter and school holidays.