This report provides details of the contribution of tourism to the Queensland economy. The Office of Economic and Statistical Research (OESR) measures this contribution by compiling a Queensland Tourism Satellite Account. This report provides details of the economic contribution of spending by international, interstate and overnight intrastate visitors and day visitors in 2003–04.

The project has been commissioned by Tourism Queensland. OESR also contributed to the cost of the project.

Some example statistics

• Tourism in Queensland accounted for $8.4 billion or 5.8 per cent of the state’s economic activity as measured by gross state product (GSP) in 2003–04. This result is the net economic impact of $18.0 billion in expenditure in Queensland by day visitors, interstate visitors, international visitors and Queensland residents taking day, overnight, interstate and overseas trips.

• Tourism directly accounted for the employment of 136,000 persons in 2003–04, or 7.3 per cent of all jobs in the state.

• Tourism contributed 4.7 per cent to Queensland’s total factor income (compared with 5.8 per cent for total GSP as mentioned earlier). Manufacturing is the largest industrial contributor to the State economy with 10.6 per cent of total factor income. The tourism contribution is comparable to that of one of Queensland’s most traditional industries, Agriculture, forestry and fishing, with 4.4 per cent.