The Queensland Tourism Industry Council is creating a panel of specialist brokers to help members with insurance amid surging premiums and cover restrictions.

The industry body has called for expressions of interest from brokers with at least three years’ experience with Queensland tourism or events clients. An annually reviewed panel will be made available through the group’s website.

CEO Natassia Wheeler says council research shows many operators struggle to find a broker who understands tourism and events risks such as seasonal trading, adventure activities, event cancellations and disaster recovery.

“The right broker can be the difference between a business that rebuilds after a cyclone and one that doesn’t,” she said.

“This panel won’t fix premiums on its own. But it gives operators a short, vetted list of brokers who know their sector, and it gives us a direct line to educate the broking market on how well-run tourism businesses manage risk.”

Applications, which close on December 22, will be independently assessed across groupings from caravan parks and marine tourism to events and adventure operators.

Related article: Outdoors tourism groups slam underwriting approaches

Brokers must have at least 10 current clients in their subsectors and provide referees.

The council’s recent insurance affordability and availability report and action plan made 21 recommendations for governments, the insurance industry and the tourism sector.

“We handed our recommendations to the Australian and Queensland governments in July and we’ve raised them repeatedly since,” Ms Wheeler said.

“We appreciate the conversations, but you can’t insure a business with a conversation. The weather isn’t waiting for a policy cycle, so industry is getting on with what we can deliver ourselves.”

Report case studies included the premium for an accommodation provider with eight villas jumping from $2300 to a $57,000 quote after one cyclone claim in eight years.

A southeast Queensland caravan park hit by a 2025 hailstorm had an $800,000 loss reduced to a $109,000 payout because it was unknowingly underinsured.

The group’s recommendations include extending the cyclone reinsurance pool claims window and doubling the property cap to $10 million. It calls for a state insurance tax overhaul and national public liability reform.

“Queensland’s visitor economy supports more than 277,000 jobs, and over 90% of tourism businesses are small businesses,” Ms Wheeler said.

“They are doing everything they can to manage their risk. We need both levels of government to meet them halfway.”

Find broker panel details here.

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