Last week, the Queensland government announced the first routes delivered through the fund, with a new Brisbane to Doha flight from Virgin Australia, and two new direct Jetstar flights from New Zealand to the Gold Coast.
Brisbane Airport chief executive Gert-Jan de Graaff said the new daily flights from Virgin mark “the most significant increase in capacity between Queensland and Europe in the past two years”.
On Tuesday, Air New Zealand announced it would add 1.7 million seats between Australia and New Zealand over summer, including 18,400 new seats between Brisbane and Auckland.
The data released today places New Zealand as Brisbane’s top international market, accounting for 248,000 visitors during the surveyed period.
It is followed by the United Kingdom (136,000); USA (118,000); China (112,000); and South Korea (61,000).
Brisbane Economic Development Agency chief executive Anthony Ryan said Brisbane’s growth in international tourism is “the result of smart strategy and strong collaboration”.
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“We’re working side by side with our partners to secure blockbuster events, expand aviation access, and tell Brisbane’s story to the world through powerful destination marketing,” he said.
Brisbane’s growth has been attributed to the city’s inclusion as a must-visit destination by global publications including Time Magazine and Frommer’s, and the development of precincts such as Howard Smith Wharves, South Bank and James Street.
The Queen’s Wharf precinct, which, ahead of its staged opening in August last year, was tipped to draw 1.4 million visitors a year and cement Brisbane on international radars ahead of the 2032 Olympics, has been missing from recent tourism announcements.
Ryan said despite uncertainty around the precinct, due to Star Entertainment’s financial difficulties, Queen’s Wharf remains “an important asset” for Brisbane.
“Queen’s Wharf understands its place as a driver of connectivity to South Bank … [and] from an iconic physical asset that it brings to the city, we find it incredible.”
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