Far North Queensland<\/strong>, a gateway to some of Australia\u2019s most iconic destinations such as the Great Barrier Reef<\/strong> and the Daintree Rainforest<\/strong>, is exploring the implementation of a visitor levy<\/strong> to address its growing tourism demands. Known as a \u201cbed tax<\/strong>,\u201d the proposed levy aims to fund critical infrastructure improvements and support sustainable tourism development across the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The city of Cairns<\/strong>, a popular hub for international backpackers and eco-tourists, sits at the heart of this proposal. Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) chief executive Mark Olsen<\/strong> explained the rationale, noting that \u201cover 340 cities in 100 countries around the world have put in forms of levies, so we are open to the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Olsen, a levy would help fund facilities and services that directly benefit tourists and the local community, addressing pressures created by the steady influx of visitors. Cairns alone is expected to attract tens of thousands of additional tourists annually over the next 20 years, underscoring the urgent need for proactive measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea of a tourism tax is not new. Cairns Mayor Amy Eden<\/strong> cited examples from international destinations such as Venice, where levies have successfully funded infrastructure upgrades. She estimated that a 2.5% charge on accommodation bills in her council area could generate up to $19 million annually<\/strong>, helping to alleviate the financial burden on local taxpayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently, an environmental management charge<\/strong> of approximately $7.80<\/strong> is already added to tickets for Great Barrier Reef tours. Mark Olsen noted that the fee, which accounts for nearly 4% of the total cost of reef visits, has not discouraged tourists. Instead, he said, \u201cWhat did change visitation is perception of coral bleaching and the impact of climate change on our natural world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The proposal has sparked debate among tourists. Morgan Wulff<\/strong>, a 23-year-old Canadian backpacker from a town near Banff, which imposes its own entry fees, said, \u201cIf it was five bucks, yeah, wouldn\u2019t sweat it. If I\u2019m getting taxed just to be here, then, no, thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Swiss backpacker Leonie Bruhin<\/strong>, 24, shared her experiences with similar levies in Europe but expressed skepticism about whether funds are used effectively. German traveler Olivia Leisenberg<\/strong>, 20, added that while a tax wouldn\u2019t deter her from visiting Australia, it could influence her choice of destinations within the country. \u201cAustralia is an expensive country, I would say, for backpackers,\u201d she remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite gaining support from a majority of Queensland councils in 2022, implementing a visitor levy requires legislative reform. Tourism Minister Andrew Powell<\/strong> acknowledged the divided opinions among local governments, stating, \u201cAt this stage, I am supporting the conversation being had around it.\u201d He emphasized the importance of consultation as part of Queensland\u2019s Destination 2045<\/strong> strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Brian Hennessy<\/strong>, international sales manager at Sunlover Reef Cruises<\/strong>, voiced optimism about the initiative. \u201cI did about 25 weeks outside Australia last year promoting this region and the vast majority of destinations that I traveled to charge some sort of infrastructure tax, bed tax, whatever you want to call it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cairns MP and opposition tourism spokesman Michael Healy<\/strong> supported the idea under one condition: \u201cThe money needs to go back to the regional council, not down to Brisbane, where if it did, I suspect we\u2019d be going cap in hand back down there.\u201d Healy\u2019s comments underscore concerns that funds collected locally should remain in the region to directly benefit its residents and tourism industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Queensland is weighing a bold move: introducing a tourism tax to help fund much-needed infrastructure upgrades in hotspots like Cairns. But could this proposed “bed tax” discourage travelers, especially budget-conscious backpackers? While some see it as a win for locals, others warn it could reshape visitor behavior. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":100565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100561"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100566,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100561\/revisions\/100566"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}