RAISING A GLASS TO TOURISM SUCCESS
From gin distilleries to craft breweries, our city’s booze-based businesses are drawing more and more to the Coast
ALMOST 300,000 visitors to the Gold Coast have said visiting wineries, breweries and distilleries is their most important reason to come.
Figures released by Destination Gold Coast as part of its 2017 Gold Coast Australian Travel Survey show 287,000 Australians visited the Gold Coast for its growing brewing industry.
This particular tourism market spends “significantly more” on travel, averaging $6300 a year. This is 27 per cent higher than the national average.
Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista said the Coast’s wineries, craft breweries and distilleries were steadily becoming an important reason to visit.
“Our research tells us that Australian travellers love visiting and participating in these activities, with one in four holiday-makers making it a priority,” she said.
“This market has the potential to attract 3.5 million adult Australians ... Boutique wines, microbreweries and micro-distilleries in particular are in high demand. Nationally, this trend is exceeding supply and Gold Coast traders are providing quality and award-winning bespoke experiences and products to fuel the demand.
“There are more than 600 craft breweries in Australia and the Gold Coast is home to 2 per cent of the market, so there is room to grow.
“The Gold Coast is in a great position to benefit from new and repeat visitors who are keen to spend up big in Australia’s favourite holiday playground.”
But it’s not only tourism numbers that are keeping the Coast’s breweries and distilleries in business. Many operators say they thrive off the locals.
The owner of Granddad Jacks Craft Distillery, Luke Ridden, said there was “no doubt” interest in the business had grown since it opened mid-last year.
“Everyone’s really trying to be locally focused, it’s about trying to keep your money in your own community,” he said.
“Everyone likes supporting the little guy and we’re really lucky on the Gold Coast to have a lot of local support.
“That’s what keeps most of our businesses running, especially in the Miami and Burleigh areas.
“Gone are the ways of trying to save money in those kind of places too. People are willing to fork out a little bit more cash for something that’s made in their own backyard.”
The popular Black Hops Brewery is preparing to open a second location, in Biggera Waters, to keep up with demand for its product.
Co-founder Dan Norris said it was something his team had always hoped to do.
“We realised we were going to hit capacity in Burleigh so we started planning, raised some money, did some crowdfunding,” he said.
“We can only fit a certain number of tanks in here and we’re selling everything we can make there now, so we had to get a new site.
“There are brewhouses around the world and it’s now starting to appear on the Gold Coast – it’s a different experience than going to the pub. It’s family friendly ... just enjoying the beers while watching the brewery in action.”
Guy Scruton, owner of Varsity Lakes brewery Aardvark and Arrow, said many visitors came solely to tour the breweries.
“In the morning they open up Google Maps and work out a path for themselves (to the breweries),” he said.
“By far and away locals are our lifeblood.
“We have a key demographic we target but tourists are obviously an important part in getting the word out there as well.
“We came very close to closing the doors in 2012 ... since then we’ve just gone power to power, we’re really pleased.”