Ciobo meets Winter after wintry blast of CEO

WARRING Federal Tourism Minister Steve Ciobo and Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter have met up to discuss concerns around declining visitor spend and bed nights.

They got together in Canberra last Thursday a week after Mr Ciobo said he had lost confidence in Mr Winter.

Mr Ciobo’s sensational spray came after new tourism figures showed a drop in international visitor spending and bed nights on the Coast despite an increase in tourist numbers to the city overall.

Yesterday, a Gold Coast Tourism board statement expressed its “absolute confidence” in Mr Winter as CEO, after it was discussed at last week’s board meeting.

Chairman Paul Donovan said the separate face-to-face meeting between Mr Winter and Mr Ciobo addressed the latter’s comments last week “concerning the latest figures around international visitors to the Gold Coast”.

“The Minister is an important stakeholder in the Coast visitor economy and we’ll work with him,” Mr Donovan said.

“Tourism success is a collaborative effort between Tourism Australia, Tourism and Events Queensland and Gold Coast Tourism.

“No one person is responsible for the destination’s figures but the aim of every stakeholder is to ensure the Gold Coast remains Australia’s premier holiday destination.

“Gold Coast Tourism’s board, management and staff are all working collaboratively to ensure that the decline in the two areas of overnight stay and spend are back in positive territory as soon as possible.”

Mr Ciobo said yesterday: “The Gold Coast has so much quality tourism product and extraordinary potential I look forward to continuing to work very closely with the Gold Coast tourism industry. I have nothing further to add specifically about the CEO.”