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Who needs to register?

An inbound tour operator needs to be registered to conduct business in Queensland.

An inbound tour operator is a person who, alone or with others:

sells travel packages for people visiting or travelling in Queensland to overseas wholesalers, retailers or corporate buyers for an inclusive price
has an overseas sales account that is more than 20 per cent of the total number of travel packages they sold in the previous 12 months.

If you are licensed as a travel agent, you are not automatically registered as an inbound tour operator. You must still register as an inbound tour operator.

However, if you hold a current Australian travel agent licence, you do not have to pay registration fees.

Who does not need to register?

You do not need to register if you:

provide services to tourists on a not-for-profit basis or apply any net proceeds solely for a community purpose, such as a charity
sell travel packages to both the domestic and overseas markets, and your overseas sales are less than 20 per cent of the total number of travel packages you sold over the previous 12 months.

You also do not need to register as an inbound tour operator if you are a tour guide who, for reward, personally supplies guiding services to tourists travelling with tours in Queensland. This includes if you do work experience as a tour guide.

The reward may include payment, accommodation, flights or food.

Guiding services include accompanying tourists, doing something else for them (such as translating), giving tourists information or advice, or coordinating or leading their activities.

Tour guides who work overseas and travel with tours in Queensland, and tour guides who offer services as part of formal or informal work experience, must still comply with the guidelines of the Tourism Services Act 2003.

Who needs to register?

Who does not need to register?

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