Tourism Week 2025 - DestinationQ Highlights

Queensland's highly anticipated Tourism Week took place from 12 - 14 November at the Brisbane Convention Centre, and it was a great opportunity for Amplifly to connect with so many familiar faces at DestinationQ - Queensland’s leading annual tourism industry conference.

The DestinationQ Forum brough together government and industry leaders alongside tourism operators to discuss key themes and opportunities for growth, provide updates on key economic and infrastructure policies and projects impacting the region and industry, and to collaborate and tackle challenges together - to deliver a strong, sustainable future for tourism in Queensland.

The event's massive agenda highlighted shifting travel trends and tackled critical issues impacting a wide range of delegates from all corners of the QLD tourism industry:

• For June Qtr: Australia-wide trips were up, but spending was down. In QLD, trips were up and so was spending.

• Nearly half of Aussies (46%) consider travel more important than discretionary spending

• Younger travellers are seeking experiences that ‘feel’ exceptional for the price.

• Major events are a huge driver for inbound tourism, and the benefits are being felt much further afield than the host city. The British Lions tour delivered double digit growth in UK tourist spend throughout QLD (as far as Outback QLD) not just in Brisbane.

• 1 in 5 global travellers are seeking nature-based tourism.

There was a huge focus on ecotourism throughout the event, including an update from QLD's State Premier David Crisafulli MP and the Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell MP GAICD on Destination 2045 and the ‘45 by 45’ initiative - to deliver 45 new ecotourism experiences to QLD. The goal of becoming the world’s leading eco-tourism destination is already making progress.

And of course - a massive focus was on the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympic Games and what it means for tourism operators across the state and Australia-wide, with a clear message that SMEs and smaller tourism operators will play a critical role in the lead up to the Games and in its legacy.

Some Brisbane 2032 Olympics fun facts:

• 10.5K athletes

• 9.5K whistles (!)

• Enough fencing to run from Sunshine Coast to Gold Coast

• Brisbane will be one of only 25 cities to have ever hosted a summer Olympics.

It was a powerful opportunity to connect and brainstorm with so many tourism operators who share the same challenges - how to amplifly their brand visbility and own an authentic message that resonates with customers and cuts through the noise in an AI-driven world.