Tourism operators
Export Ready is for Queensland tourism operators who hold Best of Queensland Experiences accreditation and are ready to trade. Entry is by invitation only: operators are invited through their regional tourism organisation. Already invited? Find your invitation.
Best of Queensland Experiences accreditation is the entry requirement. Read about the Best of Queensland Experiences Program, or talk to your regional tourism organisation if you are not there yet.
What trade-ready means
A trade-ready operator can work effectively with the travel trade: the wholesalers, inbound tour operators, online travel agents and other intermediaries who package and sell experiences to visitors. Most international buyers do not book direct, so being trade-ready is the difference between waiting for direct bookings and being actively sold by partners who reach markets you cannot reach alone.
Net rates
You price with commission built in, so partners can sell you profitably.
Clear commission structures
Your commissions are competitive within your segment and easy for a partner to understand.
Trade-ready collateral
You have one-pagers, fact sheets and contracting documents a partner can use directly.
Booking and rate systems
You can manage multiple rate sets across channels and hold allocation reliably.
Contracting capability
You can sign a distribution agreement with confidence and meet its terms.
Operational reliability
You deliver committed volume at consistent quality, with clear service standards and fair cancellation policies.
Trade-ready and export-ready
Many capabilities exist in some form in any trade-ready operator. Export readiness is about whether they exist at the depth international trade relies on.
| Area | Trade-ready | Export-ready |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution | Net rates and commissions in place; working with local and domestic partners. | Active relationships with international wholesalers and inbound operators; multi-channel rate and allocation management. |
| Product | A strong, consistent experience for your current market. | Product positioned, priced and delivered for specific international markets, including language and cultural fit. |
| Digital | A good website with secure online booking. | Discoverable and bookable by international buyers, with content tailored for target markets. |
| Operations | Reliable delivery and clear policies. | Capacity, seasonality and service standards proven to the level trade partners stake their reputation on. |
If you are trade-ready and hold Best of Queensland Experiences accreditation, Export Ready gives you a structured assessment against the five capability areas, program credits and Academy Experts to close the gap to export-ready. See The program.
Academy Experts
Academy Experts are tourism trade specialists who work with Queensland operators in Export Ready. Operators book them with their program credits. If you have practical, specialist experience that helps tourism businesses become export-ready, we would like to hear from you.
How work comes to you
Operators choose an Academy Expert from the program marketplace and book sessions with their credits. Being listed does not guarantee work.
How you are paid
Operators do not pay Academy Experts directly. Tourism Accelerator pays you centrally once the operator confirms a session was delivered.
Your rates
You set your own rates within the program's published rate guardrails.
Your notice window
You set the notice you need for a reschedule or cancellation on your own service. Where you have not set one, the program default of 48 hours applies.
To be listed on the marketplace you must:
- hold an active ABN registered in Australia and be in good standing with the Australian Taxation Office;
- hold current Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance;
- have demonstrable specialist capability in at least one capability area or market;
- have no current sanction or unresolved complaint from a tourism or business industry body; and
- commit to the Academy Expert Code of Conduct and Service Quality Standards.
We engage Academy Experts across the five capability areas: digital, marketing, product, distribution and export-facing operations. We are particularly interested in specialists in specific international markets (New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Europe, North America, China, Japan, South East Asia and India), and in First Nations tourism, sustainability and accessibility.
See Academy Experts for how the marketplace works. To register your interest in becoming an Academy Expert, email industry@queenslandacademy.com.au.
Regional tourism organisations
Queensland's regional tourism organisations invite operators in their regions to take part and are each operator's local point of contact through the program. Trade-readiness support remains with the regional tourism organisation; Export Ready builds on it. Information shared with a regional tourism organisation is limited to its referral and oversight role, as set out in our Privacy policy.
Regional tourism organisations can contact their partnership contact at Tourism Accelerator, or email industry@queenslandacademy.com.au.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for Export Ready?
Queensland tourism operators who hold Best of Queensland Experiences accreditation and are ready to trade. Operators are invited through their regional tourism organisation.
Do I need to be trade-ready before taking part?
Yes. Export Ready is for operators who hold Best of Queensland Experiences accreditation and are ready to trade. It then helps you move from trade-ready to confirmed export-ready.
What is the difference between trade-ready and export-ready?
Trade-ready is the foundation for working with the trade, often built with your regional partners. Export-ready is the added depth international buyers need across digital, marketing, product, distribution and operations.
Why do net rates matter for the trade?
Most international buyers book through intermediaries who need a margin to sell you. Net rates have commission built in, so a partner can package and sell your product profitably.
How do Academy Experts get paid?
Centrally, by Tourism Accelerator, once the operator confirms a session was delivered. Operators pay with program credits, so you are not chasing invoices.
Does being listed as an Academy Expert guarantee work?
No. A listing makes you visible to operators with credits to spend, but operators choose who they book.
Questions? Email industry@queenslandacademy.com.au or phone 07 4802 5085.