AFL deal to boost tourism

GOLD COAST tourism and events promotion looks set to enter a $5 million “instafamous’’ purple patch through a deal that has the city hosting four teams to help relaunch the AFL 2020 season.

Teams from Adelaide and Perth, along with players’ families, will start arriving next week to prepare for a series of games to be played on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane as the AFL reboots its season amid the coronavirus recovery.

Local business and tourism leaders say although fans at this stage will not be able to attend the games, the city will reap the benefits of the TV and social media coverage provided by players whose combined following runs into millions of fans.

Under the agreement forged between the AFL and Gold Coast City Council, the Adelaide, Fremantle, Port Adelaide and West Coast teams will enter quarantine hubs with their families, staying at RACV Royal Pines and Palm Meadows for the restart of the season.

Games start on June 15. Mayor Tom Tate, who said the cost of the deal was “very little” and would not reveal the obligations on the AFL to promote the city, estimated the agreement was worth about $5 million to the Gold Coast.

“Viewers in Victoria will be marvelling at our weather. It is the best promotion,” Cr Tate said. “I can see (them) in their days not training, getting out playing golf, going to the surf. I am pretty sure their social media will show how good it is on the Gold Coast.

“The media down south is already talking about this quite extensively.

“They say why the Gold Coast, I say why not, it is the best place in Australia should you have to isolate.

“The Gold Coast and the AFL brand are among the most positive branding in Australia. It will have a multiplying effect and we will leverage off each other.”

Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista agreed the real benefit for the city would come from players’ time off the field.

“At the moment Instagram traffic is among the biggest areas of potential from this arrangement,” Ms Battista said.

“Some of the top players have followings of up to six figures, and social media is highly persuasive when it comes to engaging and promoting the Gold Coast.

“The media coverage is also a fantastic branding exercise.”

Ms Battista said the real driver of economic activity would come when games reopen to the public.

“In terms of actual direct economic impact, the challenge is for games to be open to attendance,” she said.

Gold Coast Suns chairman Tony Cochrane said the decision would have a long-term impact on AFL on the Coast.

“It is a very big deal down south, to enable the AFL season to commence,” he said.

“The biggest benefit of this will be to tourism. It will also increase awareness and visibility of the AFL and give the facilities like Metricon (stadium) a much bigger playbook.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said no one had forgotten the pandemic, but the announcement was a small step back to recovery.