New figures from Tourism Australia have highlighted the important role of Queensland's tourism industry in the state's economy, with the sector estimated to have contributed $27 billion while also employing more than 235,000 people.

The 2017-18 Regional Tourism Satellite Accounts, released on Monday, shows tourism remains a driving force in regions across Queensland, indicating Gross Regional Product had grown by 7.8 per cent while jobs had grown by nearly 10 per cent.

Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said it was important to keep the sector's momentum going.

“More tourists means more jobs," she said.

"That’s why we’re working so hard to grow this sector. 

“Our regional areas rely heavily on tourism, contributing eight per cent of total Gross Regional Product and employing 105,700 people – that’s one in nine jobs.

“In some regions like Cairns and the Whitsundays, this goes up to one in five jobs and one in three jobs, representing around a quarter of the Whitsundays economy.”

Ms Jones said the Palaszczuk Government was seeing strong results in the tourism sector because it had invested more in the sector than any other government in Queensland’s history.

“We’re working with operators to ensure we’re delivering the best experiences for consumers, investing in new attractions and infrastructure and growing aviation access into Queensland,” she said.

“We are also continuing to build our calendar of events, supporting existing events that we know attract visitors and bringing new events exclusively to Queensland.

“Over the last five years, we’ve more than doubled the value of Queensland’s event’s calendar. It continues to grow and next year will generate $880 million for our state.”

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