18 JAN: The Queensland government has launched an investigation into the commissions being paid on tour excursion sales, amid claims that some so-called tour desks are demanding payouts of up to 50%.

Tour operators say the demands are sending some companies broke, the Courier-Mail newspaper reports today.

Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators chief executive Col McKenzie is quoted as saying there is no set benchmark for tour desk commissions and tour operators had little choice but to bend to the demands.

"There’s no doubt it’s a big problem," he said.

"We have had instances of over 50% of the ticket price going in commissions.

"There’s a lot of people demanding 35% or they won’t sell the product.

"If we could carve 10% off their price it would make a huge difference.

"Some of the operators won’t survive unless something is done."

Tourism Minister Jan Jarratt said the industry had been reporting desks charging high fees and it was now time to investigate and ensure that operators were not being disadvantaged.

"I believe it’s necessary to objectively assess the impacts of commission structures on the tourism industry, having received feedback that some commission rates might be excessively high or not good value for money," she told the Courier-Mail.

"I think it’s prudent to ensure the commission system is fair and equitable not just for operators but also to guarantee visitors to Queensland get value for money."

The independent investigation gets under way this month, with a report to the government due by the end of June.