17451 (2025). Glen Bennett to the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality

17451 (2025). Glen Bennett to the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality: Will there be any infrastructure upgrades required to support the predicted increase of 23,000 visitors as a result of the tourism turbocharge announcement?

Hon Louise Upston: An extra 23,000 visitors on current levels will still be less than what visited in 2019. Visitor numbers are currently at 85% of pre-pandemic levels, 3.31 million for the year ending December 2024 when compared with 3.89 million for the year ending December 2019. The government is aware of the evolving demands on regional infrastructure and has been taking steps to strengthen the infrastructure sector, with a long-term focus reflected in the development of a 30-year National Infrastructure Plan to guide future investment and delivery. I am committed to working closely with the sector to ensure growth is managed in a way that supports both communities and visitors.