NOT SELLING OUT BEACHES
COMMERCIALISING the beaches. It is one of those phrases which polarises immediately — like cruise ship terminal, or proposed Spit development or a Meter Maids bar.
Today’s Bulletin sees city leaders in politics, tourism and hospitality delving back into the debate about whether to “commercialise the beaches”.
But what is key here is a need to be very clear about what we are actually talking about.
One thing this is not about is selling out the beaches.
It seems clear, from the comments published today that debate has evolved significantly from musing about ice-cream carts, food trucks and Meter Maid food deliveries for sunbathers to considering high-end bar and restaurant offerings on the foreshore.
When we talk about “commercialising the beaches” that is in fact not right at all. What it actually is — and this is crucial if such an idea is to have any chance of being explored and realised — is “commercialising the beachfront”.
It is not about hospitality and stalls plonked on the sand. This is about worldclass alfresco offerings on the foreshore, right up to the beach edge but not over it.
Gold Coast entrepreneur Billy Cross, who has plenty of experience with pulling off festivals and concerts on the sand for Schoolies and the looming Sand Tunes event in Coolangatta, makes it clear foreshore venues are the obvious way to go.
He’s talking sense — the potential of beach-edge hospitality hubs overlooking the ocean is enormous if done right.
It is not a new idea and it is one tailor-made for this city with its stunning 42km of coastline and reliable, outstanding weather. Destinations overseas do it impressively, enhancing the beach experience without in any way spoiling it. Think Waikiki in Hawaii, Mykonos, St Tropez, Sardinia. Mr Cross knows firsthand how well it can work — he’s just about done them all.
As he says today, a serious conversation about tourism must look at embracing beachfront hospitality operations as a way of taking the Gold Coast experience to the “next level”.
The political will at the top is there — Mayor Tom Tate has long been a fan of a trial — whilst Destination Gold Coast chair Paul Donovan agrees done in a style “befitting the destination”, it will be a winner.
Conditions and licences would need to be strict. But there is no doubt this city, which has evolved its cafe and dining scene enormously and in a great way the past few years, has the operators who can pull off the world-class venues to make it work.
Coincidentally, the timing today of the new owners of the $1 billion Jewel triple towers project revealing their beach-edge bar, dining and pool areas literally shows this city the way.
Jewel artist impressions right up to but not spilling on to the sand at Surfers Paradise conjure up stunning visions of what commercialising the beach edge can mean.
As said by Jimmy Huang — director of Jewel’s ownership company Yuhu Group Australia — the aim is for it to take your breath away. And that’s exactly what our coastline does already — so let’s use that even further to our advantage.