Popularly known as the 'Peoples Member', Margaret Keech, Minister for Tourism, Fair Trading and Wine Industry Development,Queensland, Margaret Keech, shares her view and vision about the booming trade relationship between India and Queensland Tourism. In an interview with the Honorable Minister, Subhash also finds out about her experience during her first ever visit to India.

This is your first visit to India, tell us about your experience.
I have absolutely been so amazed with India. I feel very fortunate to have been able to visit Taj Mahal and I am still in awe of it. But what I am pleased about is the tremendous response from the media and also from the Indian Tourism Industry for the “Queensland on Show” Tour. All the Queensland Tour Operators tell me that they are doing very good business. So the opportunities for both India as well as Queensland Tourism Industries is very strong indeed.

How has the market from India grown into Queensland?
We've found that there is a very strong growth, in fact Queensland is the strongest growing market out of all the states for Australia and over the last year there has been a 33% increase in the number of Indian visitors to Australia, whereas Queensland alone has seen an increase of about 48%. So this shows that the growth is all in Queensland. And its not only leisure tourism but also business tourism which is witnessing this growth.

Which is the largest market into Queensland across the globe?
New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Europe, the UK and America are some of the strongest markets. The Government of Queensland and the Tourism Ministry have devised a strategy, where we are looking at three emerging markets; namely China, South Korea and India. However, the highest-level delegations I have ever brought to one of these countries, is to India. And that is because we believe that the opportunities in India are the greatest.

While you were in Delhi earlier, what was the feedback of the delegates and the tour operators about the trade?
We have got tremendous response from the operators, particularly for the honeymoon market. All the delegates and operators seem to be very positive and happy about the trade here and they would like to come again next year. Last year we had 14 operators from Queensland coming to India and this year we have 25. This shows that India is a very strong market. They've all got smiles on their face and they are looking forward to coming back again next year as well.

So should we expect you to come back next year?
I would certainly like to. I have rung my husband and family back in Australia and said that we have to come here for a holiday. It's a wonderful country, particularly Mumbai. I just love the shopping. You know you're getting a good deal when you look around in the shop and you see only locals. Well it's exactly the same with Queensland. When visitors come to Queensland and look around, all they'll see are only locals, because when Australians go for a holiday, they go to Queensland. So the best place to visit in Australia is obviously Queensland.

As a Queenslander, which is your favourite place there?
Well, as a Tourism Minister, I am not allowed to have my favourite place.I live on the Gold Coast and Gold Coast itself has lots of attractions. I have to be fair to all the regions in Queensland and it's like having children, you have to be fair to all. So there are no personal favourites of mine. In fact, the whole state of Queensland is so diverse that each place has something to offer from rainforest to the Great Barrier Reef, to beautiful islands along the coast, to theme parks and outback. The state of Queensland offers diverse experiences to meet the needs of all kinds of travellers. In fact we have opened our office in Mumbai and Gold Coast Tourism too is opening their office in Mumbai and that shows that Queensland is serious about the Indian market and we are here for a long term. We are not fly-by-night operators-here today, gone tomorrow. We are here as we see a very strong potential of growth out of this region.

Have you liaised with the government authorities here for business-trade related tie-ups?
Yes, I have had meetings with the Delhi Tourism Minister. I was also fortunate to meet Ms Ambika Soni, the Minister of Tourism and Culture in India. We talked a lot about opportunities especially with the Commonwealth Games coming up and I also had meeting with AUSTRADE as well as TATA representatives.

Do you expect lots of Indians visiting Queensland?
Yes, certainly. Last year we had about 23,000 visitors from India, which is a huge growth and we except it to grow further. Especially with Bollywood showing so much of interest in Queensland, which is evident with the film 'Hey Baby', I think the number of visitors will increase. We also have a very large Indian community, primarily comprising of businessmen who are in Queensland. We have a large number of International students from India who come to study at Griffith University, Bond University and other Universities as well.

Does Queensland have any scope for business opportunities as well?
Certainly, we have a lot of Indian companies that head businesses in Queensland, particularly those linked with mining and coal and a large number of Indian businessmen are setting up their head offices in Queensland and that will drive the business end of the visitation in Queensland.

Lastly your message to readers.
I would tell them, Come now! Get online or call in to the Mumbai office and get all the information about everything you need to know about a holiday in Queensland; whether it's relaxing on a beach, riding a horse or walking in the beautiful rain forest. We have beautiful weather. Even in winter it's about 24oC, which is a very cuddly weather for the honeymooners. We have wonderful theme parks open throughout the day and night, great shopping and everything you want. Moreover, what people need to know is that they will be very warmly welcomed in Queensland and it is one of the safest destinations as well.

Margaret Majella Keech is an Australian politician. In 2001 she was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for the seat of Albert for the Labor Party. She is currently the Minister for Tourism, Fair Trading and Wine Industry Development. Prior to entering politics, Keech had a professional career in education, serving as a teacher at many of the local schools in her electorate. She also held an academic position at the Queensland University of Technology. Keech is a member of the Australian Services Union.

She is known by some as the 'Peoples Member' for her ongoing commitment to staying in touch with the residents in her electorate and securing major infrastructure developments such as the Upper Coomera State College, Queensland and being available for consultation on weekends, recognizing that in a predominantly working class electorate many of the residents are unable to contact her during work hours due to employment commitments.

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