The Queensland government is trying to woo southerners back to the Sunshine State after a year of disruption from its own COVID-related border closures.
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet recently encouraged people to avoid holidaying in Queensland, but the state is hitting back with a new campaign.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the campaign will highlight attractions in Cairns, the Whitsundays, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.
"This marketing blitz into the southern states is one of the most aggressive domestic marketing campaigns Australia has ever seen," she told parliament on Wednesday.
Queensland's tourism sector has been under pressure in recent months amid trepidation among southerners about border closures.
The closure of international borders has also hit the sector, particularly in the far north.
A series of state border closures and reopenings over Christmas and New Year has left potential domestic travellers wary of visiting the state.
But Ms Palaszczuk says demand is starting to return and the campaign indicates state borders may remain open in the longer-term.
"We're already seeing strong demand from people in Victoria and NSW keen to escape to Queensland for a holiday because they know - like we do - that Queensland is the place to be," the premier said.
"With campaigns like the latest marketing blitz we're filming this week, we're ensuring we build back better here in Queensland."
The state government has already announced $1 million in funding to help school students visit the Great Barrier Reef in a bid to boost the flagging tourism industry.
The measure comes as the sector braces for the end of the federal government's JobKeeper wage subsidy payments later this month.
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has promised a stimulus package for the pandemic-hit industry within weeks, but the state government is also trying chip in with its own measures.
The student funding will support operators and allow more than 6500 pupils to learn about the reef.
The state will provide $150 for each eligible student in primary and high schools from the start of the third term on July 12.
The government is also running a travel voucher raffle to help draw the state's travellers to the far north.
All Queenslanders can go into the draw for one of 15,000 travel vouchers, each worth up to $200.
Winners will get a 50 per cent discount on travel experiences such as reef and rainforest tours.
The draw opened for all Queenslanders on Monday, with the vouchers current from March 15 until June 25.
