Queensland has achieved outstanding development throughout the nineties, and now as we enter the new millennium, has the most diverse and fastest growing economy in the region. Against this background of development, Queensland has a long association with countries of the Asia-Pacific, and with Japan. We have gained new strengths and advantages through diversifying our trading interests during the Asian and Japanese economic downturn. We proudly claim to be Australia s richest state in natural and agricultural resources coal, natural gas and minerals, sugar, beef, wool, wheat, vegetables and tropical fruits. Japan has traditionally been one of our best sources of tourist traffic.
Japanese visitors account for one-third of our international visitor arrivals.
Our Tourism Queensland organisation has been concentrating on new strategies to ensure the continued flow of Japanese holidaymakers. The focus of this campaign is to promote single destination holidays for the Gold Coast and tropical North Queensland. We are finding these holiday packages are popular with sales of four-night plus holidays increasing by more than 40 percent. Tourism Queensland has organised the largest single familiarisation program ever conducted in one market in Australia. The first promotional visit involving 560 Japanese agents was held earlier this year, and the second is currently under way hosting 340 agents.