Backlash to Queensland's $5.2m tourism push: 'Disgraceful'
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has copped criticism for launching a tourism campaign on the same day the Sunshine State announced a record number of Covid-19-related deaths.
The premier was in Bundaberg on Wednesday, spruiking the “Great Queensland Getaway” and “Days Like This” campaigns.
“There will be two campaigns worth $5.2 million,” she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said the Days Like This campaign will target tourists in Victoria and NSW with the other one to kick off nationally from Sunday.
“There are going to be great deals across our state,” she said.
“I’m told it you can have a dollar breakfast on Fraser Island, wine and dine vouchers when booking a Gold Coast hotel, a fifth person goes free while kayaking on the Sunshine Coast, Virgin will have great deals and Accor accomodation deals from $119 a night.
“So, that’s going to be absolutely wonderful.”
She added the tourism industry was a focus of the state’s economic recovery plan.
“I know first-hand how Covid-19 has affected tourism businesses throughout our state,” she said.
“But now we’re ready to welcome back visitors and I know so many families and friends are ready to reconnect on a Queensland holiday.”
Backlash over tourism announcement
Before the premier made the announcement, she also acknowledged 24 people had died with coronavirus in the past 24 hours – Queensland’s deadliest day of the pandemic so far.
“I want to express my condolences to the families out there that have lost their loved ones,” she said.
The tourism package hasn’t gone down well with everybody, showing some people haven't forgotten how the premier kept the borders tightly shut for five months in 2021.
“Last time we booked a Great Queensland Getaway, @AnnastaciaMP, you stopped us by closing your borders,” one man tweeted.
“Another time our son was already in Brisbane when you changed the rules so he had to stay indoors where he was for the rest of his holiday. Trust invitations from Queensland Government? Sorry.”
✈ Now is the time to plan your Great Queensland Getaway.
Once-in-a-lifetime prizes, holidays deals and cut-price airfares will be on offer through https://t.co/RF4sDq65Fw as part of a tourism blitz launching this Sunday. pic.twitter.com/80c5yTm5ad— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) February 8, 2022
One man said his last holiday in the Sunshine State was soured by the NRL Covid 'bubble'.
"After you kicked me out of the Novatel at Surfers for the footballers last year I chose to go to Tasmania. Best choice ever," he wrote.
Another man claims he lost "hundreds" booking a trip for two weeks.
"Lost the lot due to good old Annie locking the State down. Her attitude toward out of staters was disgraceful," he tweeted.
Others were concerned about the safety risk with angst it could lead to more coronavirus cases.
“What? Is this the new way to kill off us senior citizens? Instead, start protecting us seniors, don't just kill us off,” one man tweeted.
The timing to the announcement didn’t fare well either.
“Let's just move on from the 24 deaths reported today, hey? There'll just be another 10-20 again tomorrow and the next day,” one woman tweeted.
One man called the announcement “bad timing” while another called it “foul”.
Queensland's rules on borders
The tourism promotion comes as the state prepares to welcome international visitors.
The premier said Queensland will continue to treat two jabs as fully vaccinated as Australia, unless the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) says otherwise.
Queensland has had some of the toughest rules regarding interstate travel throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Just before Christmas, a rule which required a negative PCR test within 72 hours of arrival was blamed for causing a bottleneck at NSW’s testing facilities. It has since been scrapped.
At the time, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet claimed three in 10 tests were people seeking to cross the border.
There were claims of lengthy delays at testing clinics and some people received the wrong results. Arrivals in Queensland were also required to undergo tests days after entering the state.
Queensland also closed borders to NSW in December 2020 just before Christmas as an outbreak in Sydney’s north emerged.
The state last month also abolished a rule requiring tourists to show a negative RAT on arrival.
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