Qld industry pleads for federal help

The Queensland Tourism Industry Council is urging the Federal Government to help the struggling sector.

Representatives from the tourism and mining industries will meet the Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson, at a forum in Brisbane today.

The council's Daniel Gschwind says it is important tourism does not get overlooked.

"We employ more than twice as many people in the tourism and hospitality industries than the resource sector does now in even difficult times for the tourism industry and that employment and that regional and local economic benefit from the tourism industry continues to flow," he said.

Mr Gschwind says workers are leaving for better paying jobs in the mines.

"That's from masters of ships who may have driven tourism boats before and now drive boats that supply and support the resources sector," he said.

"We lose coach drivers, we lose hospitality staff and that is an issue we need to address."

Ross Contarino from Townsville Enterprise says the Federal Government needs to fund more domestic marketing campaigns.

"The only growth markets that we can see, is a lot of 'drive tourism'," he said.

"People are saying, 'well there's a lot of things happening around the world so let's stay here and have a driving holiday'.

"Certainly the caravanning and RV [recreational vehicle] market are real growing industries.

"Probably the other industry that's streaking ahead at the moment is the cruising industry."

Source: ABC News, 10 July 2012