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Queensland raffles off $200 travel vouchers to boost state’s ailing tourism industry

Fancy a visit to exquisite Babinda Boulders at Wooroonooran National Park? The Queensland government has $200 vouchers to help residents get there.

Fancy a visit to exquisite Babinda Boulders at Wooroonooran National Park? The Queensland government has $200 vouchers to help residents get there. Photo: Tourism Queensland

The Queensland government is running a raffle to help support struggling tourism operators in the state’s far north.

From Monday, Queenslanders can go into the draw for one of 15,000 travel vouchers, each worth up to $200.

Winners will get a 50 per cent discount on travel experiences such as reef and rainforest tours in a bid to boost business for far north Queensland operators, who are heavily dependent on international travellers who can’t currently come to Australia.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the far north had borne the brunt of the Covid-19 ban on overseas travellers, and that’s why it was first cab off the rank for the “holiday dollars draw”.

She said it was great way to test the incentive program and it might be rolled out to other tourism hubs in the future.

“Queensland, have we got a deal for you,” the premier said on Sunday.

“We want to make sure that people across Queensland get to enjoy tropical far north Queensland, but most importantly let’s help people who need the help the most.”

She said struggling operators had a huge hurdle ahead with JobKeeper drying up at the end of this month, and she hoped the holiday dollars draw would help keep them in business.

Queenslanders can register for the draw from Monday, and the vouchers will be current from March 15 until June 25.

Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen said that in a normal year, the region would normally be welcoming 3,500 international visitors a day.

-AAP

 

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