The government is ready to support a proposal to have a major seafood market in Brisbane to boost tourism. While there is no definite site for the project yet, Northshore Hamilton is one of the suggested sites for the development.
John O’Sullivan, Managing Director of Tourism Australia, proposed the project, believing that a Brisbane seafood market will help attract more Asian visitors to the area.
Minister for Innovation and Tourism Industry Development Kate Jones agreed to the proposition as the Asian market is a major growth driver to Queensland’s tourism industry.
The Asian Market and Queensland’s Tourism
Queensland’s tourism industry achieved a record high growth in visitations as more than 500,000 Chinese people visited the state in 2017. The results of the latest International Visitor Survey (IVS) by Tourism Research Australia shows that 2.7 million overnight visitors contributed $5.3 billion to Queensland’s economy in 2017.
China and Japan have been Queensland’s largest and most valuable international markets with expenditures of $1.14 billion and $432.1 million, respectively. The government continues to seek more ways to attract the Asian market to promote Queensland’s tourism.
According to Ms Jones, the international tourism market remains to be competitive and it’s important to rise to the challenge by improving Queensland’s tourism offering. A major seafood market in Brisbane can be the best project that would further boost the tourism industry.
Targeted Sites
Northshore Hamilton’s ideal location, being close to the water and accessible via the Gateway and Kingsford Smith Drive, makes it a great site for the proposed seafood market.
Other areas being considered for the project are Bulimba, the City Centre, Howard Smith Wharves, Newstead, and South Brisbane.