Aussies are pouring in
TOURISM bosses are tipping a super summer on the Gold Coast after a surge in Aussie visitors and spending in the past year.
A 14.3 per cent rise in domestic tourists poured into the country’s holiday capital for the 12 months to September, compared to the previous year.
The 4.164 million Aussie visitors spent $3.2 billion which is up 3.7 per cent, new National Visitor Survey figures show.
Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter said he expected the domestic rise – almost double the 7.2 per cent increase recorded Australia wide – to continue throughout summer.
“Traditionally summer is the highest yielding period and we are hearing reports many accommodation providers are at 90 per cent occupancy during summer,” he said.
The rosy domestic figures come a week after it was revealed record numbers of international visitors – including 305,000 Chinese, the top market – poured into the Gold Coast for 12 months to September.
Despite the four per cent climb in foreign tourists, bed nights slumped nine per cent and spend dipped four.
At the time, Mr Winter said a fundamental reason visitors were not staying longer was there had not been as many compelling new offerings in the past few years.
But yesterday he said profile from the looming Commonwealth Games in April was being seen as a catalyst for the domestic visitor jump.
“This is like a coming-ofage of the city at speeds that would not have been sustained had it not secured the Commonwealth Games.”
The rise in domestic visitor spend to $3.2b for the year is up $150m on the previous year.
It is just below a previous record high of $3.25b set back in 2008 just before the Global Financial Crisis hit.
Tourism remained a cornerstone of the city’s economy, generating over $5 billion or 17 per cent of the Gold Coast’s gross regional product, he said.
It also accounts for 46,000 tourism jobs, he said.
Mr Winter recently noted the marketing body would have to “step up” to drive investment in attractions after council’s economic development wing redundancies.
In a radical shake-up, council reform means the Economic Development and Major Projects arm will be absorbed by other directorates.
On Gold Coast Tourism “stepping up”, Mayor Tom Tate said: “I’d welcome that initiative because no longer can you just be the marketer – you have to roll up your sleeves and be part of building the infrastructure needs.”
Mayor Tate said he looked forward to the council working closer with Gold Coast Tourism on that.