Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) Chairman, Bill Calderwood, has urged the Member for Leichhardt, Jim Turnour, and Tourism Minister, Martin Ferguson, to consider tax breaks for Australians who choose a domestic holiday over heading abroad.

With tourism figures for March down on last year’s figures, Mr Calderwood said, "In a region, which still has the nation's highest unemployment rate in excess of 12 per cent, loss of tourism jobs continues to be a major contributor to this disappointing statistic.

"While the rest of the nation is headed for 'full employment' over the next two years according to the Federal Treasurer (Wayne Swan), I doubt if FNQ will reflect this dramatic improvement."

Australians have accrued a massive 123 million days of annual leave, a situation Mr
Ferguson described as “beyond belief”. He added that operators needed to manage staff leave better, making it compulsory to take holidays and longer weekends.

But Mr Calderwood believes Government incentives hold the key. "We are convinced, however, that a scheme to provide some form of tax relief to consumers who take an Australian holiday would have an immediate and positive effect which would filter effectively as a stimulus throughout many parts of the Australian economy" he said.

But Mr Ferguson doesn’t agree. "I'm not going down that route," he said.

Editors Comments:  What's the point of asking this government for help, it was this bunch of 'head in the sand' jokers who cut tourism funding to Tourism Australia just last week.  It's called 'finger on the pulse' government.  You know how it works, they apply the pressure on your pulse until the blood stops flowing, then they blame you for failing to hit targets !