Coast’s million visitors

by Americans up 14 per cent to 39,500.

China continued to be the biggest Gold Coast visitor market with 295,000, up 10 per cent, following by 209,000 New Zealanders, up 11 per cent.

Visitors from Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, France and Italy also recorded double digit growth.

All up, the latest Tourism Research Australia figures show foreigners spent $1.2 billion in the city during 12 months to March.

While visitor numbers are consistently tracking upwards, bed nights and spend have decreased on the Gold Coast, with TRA figures back in December showing foreign visitors stayed 281,000 fewer nights and spent $24 million less.

But Gold Coast-based Federal Tourism Minister Steven Ciobo welcomed the latest confirmation of visitor rises, saying the tourism sector is forecast to continue growing into the next decade.

“The Gold Coast continues to be high on the agenda for overseas visitors and these figures show the one million international tourists who visited our city provided a welcome boost for our local economy,” he said.

“These figures show international tourists are continuing to drive local jobs and economic growth.”

The Gold Coast’s millionplus foreign visitors contributed to 2,583,000 across Queensland, up seven per cent on the previous year.

Gold Coast Tourism chairman Paul Donovan welcomed the figures but said the city “needs to do more to attract – and keep – quality international visitors such as Chinese and Japanese travellers which drive our tourism revenue”.

Chinese visitors spent about $1000 more per trip than the average Coast traveller, he said.

“Things such as Chinese street signs and Chinese-language employees across the industry would benefit our city as a whole,” he said.

The visitor statistics show the average length of stay is 10 nights with 9.8 million bed nights racked up by internationals.