Brisbane secures gold!

LAST night’s announcement that Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will deliver the city around $20 billion in extra tourism spend, according to estimates from Qld Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

The major sporting event is also tipped to accelerate the development of key visitor infrastructure, create 130,000 jobs and precipitate $8.6 billion worth of new trade opportunities.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison hailed Australia’s third successful Olympic bid as an “historic day” for Queensland’s economy.

“We know the impact on Sydney more than two decades ago was transformative - we can now expect a repeat for Brisbane and communities across Qld,” he said.

The details of the Brisbane bid predicted the state would need an operating budget of approximately $4.5 billion to pull off a successful event, a crucial expenditure that Tourism & Transport Forum Chief Executive Margy Osmond believes will lead to “a massive post-COVID boon for Australia”.

“While it may be hard to picture long-term goals or achievements beyond the current major challenges in front of us, particularly for those currently in lockdown, this announcement is an early gold medal victory for the nation and the busy elevenyear lead up to and then beyond the Games,” Osmond enthused.

“Many Australians will remember the lasting value and impact that the Sydney Olympics in 2000 had not just within NSW but to the nation more broadly, including the large numbers of long-haul travellers visiting and spending...well before and after the event.

“Nights in hotels, spending in restaurants and cafes, plane trips between airports large and small, public transport use, cruising trips, visits to attractions and cultural performances, related business events, the list goes on.”

Virgin Australia chief Jayne Hrdlicka was also quick to sing the praises of the Qld Government’s win, stating the games would be a major money-spinner for the country’s aviation sector.

“The past several Olympic and Paralympic Games have shown that host cities can expect up to 500,000 additional international visitors over the course of the games, and increased levels of domestic and international tourists over the subsequent years,” she said.

But the positive benefits for tourism and travel will extend well beyond Brisbane, Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Matt Stoeckel believes, with the Sunshine Coast scheduled to host a plethora of outdoor events such as cycling, mountain biking, athletics and sailing.

“The Olympics will turbocharge the Sunshine Coast’s economic development and with the new international-capacity runway at Sunshine Coast Airport, there is excellent prospects for attracting additional hotel and tourism development aimed at both domestic and international travellers,” Stoeckel said.

“We are particularly excited about showcasing the Sunshine Coast’s reputation as a premium cycling destination – both for road cycling and mountain biking, council has been developing these resources over recent years and we will be looking to attract large numbers of domestic and international cyclists in years to come,” he added.

The XXXV Olympiad will take place from 23 Jul to 08 Aug 2032.