The Sunshine Coast has been selected for a pilot aimed at helping tourism industry workers access affordable accommodation.
The region is one of a handful of locations picked to trial a Queensland Tourism Industry Council $1 million initiative, which aims to connect workers with jobs, accommodation and relocation support through a new digital platform.
QTIC’s proposed Seasonal Mobility and Staff Accommodation Exchange (SMASE) was developed in response to the challenges that tourism businesses face in attracting and retaining staff, particularly in regional destinations.
QTIC issued a media release stating that limited staff accommodation, high relocation costs and transport barriers prevented willing workers from taking up available jobs.
The program will be piloted on the Sunshine Coast, the Whitsundays, Far North Queensland, Fraser Coast and Southern Great Barrier Reef, with South-East Queensland acting as a feeder region where workers can relocate to destinations experiencing peak tourism demand.
The digital platform will be supported by dedicated regional coordinators who will work directly with employers, accommodation providers and workers to broker placements, verify accommodation options and coordinate relocation support.
QTIC CEO Natassia Wheeler said the project reflected the organisation’s focus on delivering workforce solutions.
“One of the biggest challenges facing tourism businesses isn’t a lack of jobs: it’s finding somewhere for workers to live,” she said.
“In many of Queensland’s most popular tourism destinations, businesses are telling us they have vacancies they simply can’t fill because prospective employees can’t access affordable accommodation or afford to relocate.
“This project has been shaped by consistent feedback from our members, who have told us that workforce mobility and access to affordable staff accommodation remain two of the biggest barriers to growing their businesses.
“Rather than simply highlighting the problem, QTIC took a practical solution to government. SMASE has been designed to connect the dots by bringing together employers, workers and accommodation providers through one coordinated, industry-led platform.
“The program will make better use of existing accommodation, support workforce sharing between tourism regions with different seasonal peaks and provide relocation assistance to help workers move where they are needed most.
“We’re delighted the Queensland Government has backed an initiative that has been informed by industry and designed for industry.”
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The initiative aligns with QTIC’s plan to strengthen workforce capability and improve the long-term resilience of Queensland’s visitor economy.
“As Queensland prepares for Brisbane 2032, ensuring tourism businesses have access to a skilled, mobile workforce is essential,” Ms Wheeler said.
“This is about creating more opportunities for people to build careers in tourism while giving businesses the confidence they can access the workforce they need to grow and continue delivering world-class visitor experiences.”
Tourism supports more than 277,000 jobs across Queensland and contributes $45.5 billion in annual visitor expenditure, making workforce availability one of the industry’s most significant challenges.
