March 15, 2026 | By Anita Shah
Tourism and Events Queensland recently hosted a high-tea networking evening in Mumbai, bringing together key stakeholders from India’s travel trade, aviation sector, hospitality industry and media. The event formed part of a broader engagement with the Indian market as the destination deepens its long-term tourism partnerships in the country.
The gathering welcomed Andrew Powell and Patricia O’Callaghan during their official visit to India. They were accompanied by a Queensland delegation engaging with travel industry leaders, airline partners and media representatives to explore opportunities to grow travel between India and Queensland.
Discussions through the evening highlighted the destination’s long-term tourism roadmap, including the Destination 2045 strategy, which focuses on sustainable tourism growth, stronger international partnerships and expanding global visitor markets. India is increasingly seen as a priority source market as outbound travel from the country continues to grow rapidly.
The networking event also underscored preparations for the 2032 Summer Olympics and 2032 Summer Paralympics, which will be hosted in Brisbane. The global sporting event is expected to significantly boost tourism, infrastructure development and international visibility for Queensland in the coming years.
For the travel industry, the Olympics represent a major opportunity to position the destination for leisure travel, sports tourism, events and corporate travel. Tourism leaders believe that strengthening partnerships with the Indian travel trade well ahead of the Games will help build momentum and drive visitor demand.
A key topic that emerged during conversations was aviation connectivity between India and Queensland. Industry stakeholders acknowledged that direct flights between the two markets could play a critical role in unlocking tourism growth and making travel more convenient for Indian visitors.
According to tourism officials, preparations are already underway to ensure the destination is well positioned to welcome more travellers from India in the future. This includes expanding tourism infrastructure, strengthening hospitality offerings and increasing familiarity for Indian guests.
“The India opportunity is huge for Queensland and we have only just scratched the surface,” said Ryna Sequeira.
“Tourism and Events Queensland was honoured to host Hon. Andrew Powell, Minister for the Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and Innovation, and Patricia O’Callaghan, Director-General of the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, in India this week. Following the Queensland Premier’s visit in September 2025, this demonstrates to our aviation, trade and media partners that our vision is long-term and strategic in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In the years to come, with growing tourism infrastructure and aviation developments, we will really see the market pivot in our direction and we will be ready,” added Sequeira.
The Mumbai engagement also provided a platform for meaningful conversations between tourism officials and industry stakeholders, reinforcing the importance of collaboration in building stronger travel flows between India and Queensland.
As India’s outbound travel market continues to expand, destinations around the world are increasing their focus on the country. For Queensland, the strategy appears to be clear — invest in relationships today while preparing for the global spotlight of Brisbane 2032.
For the Indian travel trade, the evening offered a glimpse into how the destination is positioning itself for the future, with tourism, aviation and infrastructure developments expected to shape the next chapter of travel between the two markets.
