Sustainable tourism funding

Tourism is a powerful driver of economic growth, but with fierce global competition, Cairns and Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) risk falling behind. To stay competitive and ensure long-term sustainability, Cairns Regional Council is advocating for a modest visitor levy—a funding model where visitors contribute directly to the tourism sector.

Why a visitor levy?

Access to appropriate and sustainable funding for tourism is fundamental to economic growth. The growing strain of managing tourism impacts regional communities, like Cairns, where the ratio of residents to visitors is just 4:1, far below the State average of 11:1.

Implementation of a visitor levy could significantly ease cost-of-living pressures for Councils where tourism is a key economic contributor, such as Cairns. By shifting the responsibility for funding tourism bodies and destination marketing from ratepayers, residents would no longer bear the financial burden of supporting these initiatives.

Additionally, funds generated through a visitor levy could contribute to maintaining and enhancing infrastructure heavily utilised by tourists, ensuring these assets remain in excellent condition without relying on ratepayer contributions.

A choice for Local Government

An amendment to State Legislation is needed for Local Governments to have the power to introduce a visitor levy. This is just an enabler. Under the proposed opt-in approach, each Council would have the choice whether or not to apply the levy in their Local Government Area, depending on their community’s specific circumstances.

This would allow local governments to deliver positive and meaningful change for their communities when the timing is right for them. An opt-in model allows flexibility for Councils to implement or not, some may not implement the levy at all, while for others a differential rate is the better option.

All Council is seeking from the State Government is to have the choice.