Tourism Minister Kate Jones and Destination Gold Coast boss Paul Donovan have today met with operators on the Gold Coast to discuss the benefits of lifting restrictions throughout Queensland.
"We're urging Queenslanders to come down to the Gold Coast and support local businesses," she said.
"Eat at a local restaurant, grab a coffee and stay at a local hotel.
"We know that Queenslanders are itching to get out and about again. That's exactly what we're encouraging them to do.
"Because we've done such a great job at reducing coronavirus cases here in Queensland, we can now enjoy the benefits. There's so much to experience here on the Gold Coast. Get out and enjoy it."
Destination Gold Coast chair Paul Donovan said he was a strong advocate for Queensland's borders to be reopened "when safe" and for theme parks to come online as soon as possible.
But Mr Donovan said the lifting of restrictions throughout Queensland today was a win for the Gold Coast.
"Just up the road we have more than two million people in Brisbane who we know are looking for a break – they'll be our first target market," he said.
"This is a good result. It means we can start our marketing early, fine tuning our message in the intrastate market so we can try to get a jump on other states when interstate borders are opened.
"We at Destination Gold Coast have our marketing strategy ready to go.
"Today's lifting of restrictions in Queensland is a milestone in our road to recovery.
"Businesses are grateful that they can open their doors again. Many have already started taking bookings from visitors throughout Queensland who are keen to come and visit the Coast."
Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the Palaszczuk Government's economic recovery strategy, Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs, set out the path for Queensland to kickstart the economy.
"Part of that is building on our traditional strengths like tourism," Ms Jones said.
"We've delivered more than $6 billion to manage the health response and support businesses.
"But we know there is more to do.
"That's why we've opened Queensland to Queenslanders. We want to see people at our tourist destinations like the Gold Coast."
