The Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport is developing a roadmap to grow dinosaur tourism across outback Queensland.
Announcing the move, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the roadmap would help boost the region’s tourism industry in years to come and support the State’s economic recovery plan.
“Outback Queensland had a rich history of fossils and palaeontology and is one of the best places in the world to have a dinosaur experience,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“Some of Australia’s most significant dinosaur discoveries have been made in Queensland in recent years and we want to capitalise on the demand for unique tourism experiences in the future.”
She said the Department would be working with the tourism industry to develop a strategy to promote the outback as the world’s leading destination for dinosaur tourism.
Minister for Tourism, Stirling Hinchliffe said the roadmap would allow operators to collectively promote dinosaurs as a unique selling point to travellers.
“Outback Queensland has multiple dinosaur-based attractions spread throughout its communities which combined, account for an estimated 11 per cent of all tourism — or almost 122,000 visitors,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“Due to the remote location of most dinosaur attractions, visitors often visit several communities when on an outback Queensland trip, particularly if they are on a drive holiday.”
He said the roadmap would provide operators in the palaeontology tourism space a clear strategy and unified approach to promote and grow these natural history experiences over the next three years and beyond.
