The spotlight has been on Redlands Coast recently, with the city’s unique visitor experiences presented to a global audience at Australia’s largest annual tourism trade event, the Australian Tourism Exchange 2026 (ATE), as well as receiving industry recognition.
The ATE, organised by Tourism Australia, delivered a platform for destinations and tourism products to connect with key industry decisions-makers from around the world.
Acting Mayor Julie Talty said the event provided an opportunity to highlight the city’s tourism strengths, including that Redlands Coast is Brisbane’s closest coastal and island escape where people can experience an abundance of wildlife in their natural environment, living First Nations culture and rich nature experiences.
You may also like these stories
“Tourism plays an important role in supporting local jobs, businesses and economic growth in our city,” Cr Talty said.
“The Australian Tourism Exchange provided opportunities to promote our beautiful part of the world as a must-see destination and to strengthen the city’s profile in key tourism markets.
“From the world’s second largest sand island to tiny King Island, from food, wine and cultural experiences to a magnificent aquatic playground right on our doorstep and amazing walking and riding trails, we have so much to offer visitors.
“We now look forward to building on new partnerships that encourage more visitors to come and explore our region.”
The high quality of Redlands Coast tourism experiences has been recognised by the industry, with 48 local operators named on this year’s Tourism and Events Queensland’s Best of Queensland Experiences Program list.
“The number of Redlands Coast operators on the list shows what an outstanding destination our city is for tourism experiences,” Cr Talty said.
“These operators deliver exceptional customer experiences and drive visitors to our city, which in turn boosts our economy and ultimately creates more local employment opportunities.
“One of our operators received a gold rating, eight received silver, and 39 teal, including two Council-owned and operated experiences – IndigiScapes Café and Redlands Performing Arts Centre.”
Cr Talty said Council was committed to supporting tourism operators to continue the development and growth of the visitor economy.
“Council provides year-round support to local tourism operators through industry development, regular networking opportunities and destination marketing,” she said.
“We will soon be launching a new mentoring program for operators as well as a new winter marketing campaign, which will coincide with whale watching season.
“Council is also organising its annual Redlands Coast Tourism and Events Forum for operators, bringing together leaders and operators from across government and the tourism and events sector to foster collaboration and share insights.
“Council’s commitment to helping local operators aligns with opportunities that will help both their businesses and our local economy grow.”
The full list of 2026 Best of Queensland Experiences is available on the Tourism and Events Queensland website.
