Wake-up call on state tourism

Wake-up call on state tourism

THE Federal Government has warned Queensland will be priced out of the tourism market unless it embraces labour market reform.

Federal Tourism Minister Ian Macfarlane yesterday said the industry — worth $6.3 billion to Queensland's economy — needed to improve its competitiveness, particularly against cheap Asian destinations.

"It is important that tourism is not restricted by out-of-date labour market reforms," he said. "If we just sit back and say, well it is done, we will wake up in two or three years and find no tourists coming."