Three in five ‘extremely satisfied’

AT least half the tourists who visit The Spit and the Broadwater regard the natural environment as their favourite part of the precinct.

Similarly, residents (37 per cent) and businesses (26 per cent) give the green stretch just north of the Surfers Paradise skyline the thumbs up.

Beaches are the next preferred option with a 25 per cent approval rating from tourists.

About one in 10, or 13 per cent, of respondents suggested the Broadwater and The Spit did not require enhancement or changes.

What tourists like include the parks, marine facilities and “walkability of the community”.

They mentioned the shopping and dining along with the area being family orientated and “clean and open”.

The majority of residents and businesses (87 per cent) commented positively on the livability of the Coast with three in five stating they were “extremely satisfied”. Older respondents gave the highest score when asked about lifestyle on the Glitter Strip.

While respondents aged 35-54 years provided lower scores, only four per cent voiced concerns about living here.

The three big positives were the beaches (53 per cent), the lifestyle (38 per cent) and the natural environment (34 per cent).

Visitors voiced their concern about the tourist strip being crowded with traffic and congestion (55 cent) along with crime (18 per cent) their major complaints. THE biggest negative about the Gold Coast is the traffic and congestion, and finding a solution remains the greatest challenge facing The Spit.

The Colmar Brunton surveys found traffic and congestion (55 per cent) rated above crime and safety (18 per cent) along with crowds (14 per cent) as the top three negatives for the Coast.

Tourists remarked more negatively about the traffic (62 per cent) than the locals when surveyed.

Visitors were significantly more likely to perceive traffic and congestion as a deterrent (24 per cent) to tourism com- pared to others interviewed.

Limited car parking was rated third on the list of reasons for tourists not to visit the Glitter Strip.

Holiday-makers also voiced stronger concerns about limited car parking (14 per cent) compared to residents (9 per cent).

Females were “significantly more likely” to dislike parking costs and the poor parking available, according to the survey sample results.

Among the top five suggestions on how to improve the Broadwater and The Spit, three related to improved transport infrastructure.

Three in five respondents suggested a bridge linking Southport to The Spit would solve the traffic congestion around Main Beach.

“You often are sitting in traffic looking across to the Spit wishing you could just drive a straight line across,” a respondent said.