Grey tsunami coming

SEQ ‘really exciting’: TA boss

TOURISM Australia managing director John O’Sullivan believes the opportunity for the Gold Coast and southeast Queensland to grow its visitor “pie” has never been better.

Speaking at the recent unveiling of Star Entertainment Group’s new China market brand to capitalise on booming visitor numbers out of that country, Mr O’Sullivan said the breadth of experiences and increasing infrastructure in the region were “really exciting” for tourism.

He cited Star’s $3 billion Queen’s Wharf project and $2 billion, 10-year masterplan for seven towers at Broadbeach as evidence.

“What’s happening in that part of Australia is really exciting

“The opportunities are there now for southeast Queensland as a region to think about growing the pie as a broader destination.” A GREY wave of retirees could help create a Miami Down Under.

Southeast Queensland’s climate and lifestyle may lure hundreds of thousands of cashed-up Baby Boomers as their working years come to an end, demographer Bernard Salt says.

People aged 65 and older will account for one in three of all the additional population in the region over the next 25 years – an extra 32,000 residents of retirement age every year.

While the overall population of southeast Queensland will climb 44 per cent by 2035, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics projections, the 65-plus cohort will rise by 96 per cent.