The Gold Coast Bulletin

Million reasons to target Middle East

- RYAN KEEN ryan.keen@news.com.au

QUEENSLAND Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk plans prioritisi­ng promotion of the Gold Coast in the Middle East after discoverin­g just how much Dubai loves the Australian tourism capital.

Ms Palaszczuk, in the United Arab Emirates as part of an 11-day trade mission also taking in Germany and the United Kingdom, told the Bulletin she was being inundated with praise for the Gold Coast as a holiday spot.

“Every meeting I’m going to, people are coming up to me and saying how much they love the Gold Coast,” she said of her Dubai mission.

“When I’m back I will be talking to Tourism Minister Kate Jones as a priority to get an appropriat­e campaign together about the Gold Coast.”

Ms Palaszczuk said among the highlights referenced often in associatio­n with the Coast was its annual Magic Millions yearling sale festival in January.

“When they come over, they love the Magic Millions, the beaches, the climate. They also tend to stay for six to eight weeks, they are longterm stays and high spenders.

“They love that they feel safe too,” she said. “Over here they just seem to love everything the Gold Coast has to offer.”

Ms Palaszczuk said prime promotiona­l opportunit­ies were coming up with the first world expo in the Middle East – Dubai Expo 2020 – being hosted in Dubai’s emerging urban precinct in its south.

Like the mammoth World Expo 88 held 30 years ago in Brisbane, Dubai Expo 2020 is tipped to be visited by 25 million people from 190 countries during 173 days.

An Australian Pavilion will host a targeted business and arts program, VIP events plus trade and investment opportunit­ies.

Sheik Mohammed’s Godolphin thoroughbr­ed operation, which originated out of its home city Dubai but spans Europe, Japan, the US and Australia, bought its first horse at the Magic Millions in 10 years at the 2018 January sale.

Come January this year, that horse Exhilarate­s won the feature Magic Millions race – the $2 million TwoYear-Old Classic – at the Gold Coast Turf Club.

Sheik Mohammed has previously raced along the Surfers Paradise beachfront in the Magic Millions showcase barrier draw.

Godolphin Australia managing director Vin Cox, who is Gold Coast-based and a former longtime Magic Millions CEO, said the Classic win earlier this year “absolutely highlighte­d” the Gold Coast to the Dubai and further.

“I won’t say it put the Gold Coast on the map but it certainly cemented the place in their psyche.

“The Gold Coast is a go-to destinatio­n.”

Mr Cox said the increased recognitio­n of the Gold Coast and Magic Millions in the UAE was credit in part to the support the Queensland Government had given to the annual yearling sales festival.

Ms Palaszczuk said Dubai leaders had also been interested to learn about the Gold Coast experience hosting major events after the 2018 Commonweal­th Games.

 ??  ?? Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Dubai with his highness Sheik Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, CEO of Emirates.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Dubai with his highness Sheik Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, CEO of Emirates.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Australia