A 33-year-old man has been arrested in relation to the fatal stabbing of a German tourist in Brisbane on Friday.

A Queensland Police spokeswoman said charges were expected to be laid against the man from Lockrose, South-East Queensland tonight.

Police said the German traveller and a friend were walking on Milton Road near the hostels about 4:00am after a night out when a man and woman, believed to be in a green Holden Barina, almost hit them.

An argument ensued between the man in the car and the German man, which ended in him being fatally stabbed in the abdomen and back multiple times, and the car fleeing the scene.

The scene of what Queensland police described as an “incident of road rage”, is just a few hundred metres away from the popular Brisbane backpacker hub which hosts five large hostels including Brisbane City YHA, City Backpackers, Summer House Backpackers Brisbane and Chill Backpackers.

It is believed the man and his friend were staying at one of the nearby hostels.

Police have not released the victim’s name while the next of kin is being notified.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk dismissed the attack as a tragic anomaly, insisting Queensland visitors have little to fear.

Officers will not reveal details about the alleged attacker but they are reviewing CCTV of the area.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has attempted to assure travellers they are safe.

“What we do know is those matters are thoroughly investigated by the authorities and follow the normal court processes,” she said.

“Queensland is still by far one of the safest destinations to have a holiday and we see that clear evidence in our tourism numbers, where we’ve seen huge increases over 13 per cent over the last year.”

But Iain, 28, from Brazil, who is visiting Brisbane, said he would be watching his back.

“It’s pretty shocking. I feel sorry for the family. I’ll be watching myself now, protecting myself now,” he said.

Iain said he occasionally felt unsafe in Australia and that binge drinking was a major problem.