New Destination Gold Coast chief Patricia O’Callaghan said the Gold Coast’s status within the preferred south-east Queensland bid would serve as a boon to the ailing local tourism economy by presenting enormous branding, positioning and investment opportunities for the city and its 4,600 tourism businesses.

“I don’t think we can underestimate the hope and passion and drive it will bring our community,” O’Callaghan said.

“I don’t think we can underestimate an announcement like that and what it will do for potential investment into the Gold Coast.

“We will make the most of the publicity over the next 11 years, and it will be global.

“On top of that this will be a key hub not only for government investment but private as well.”

O’Callaghan said new tourism infrastructure was key to returning the Gold Coast, suffering under the devastating effects of coronavirus, to its mantle as a global tourism capital.

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New beach, ocean and hinterland experiences, including controversial beach clubs and hinterland cableway that have long been proposed but also attracted significant community backlash, would top the list of the investment needed, she said.

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“What we want to offer is fresh new experiences and that’s what is being demanded by the new traveller.

“Travel patterns are changing, consumers are changing.”

O’Callaghan said the 2032 Olympics would drive investment in new attractions.

Even in the difficult pandemic-battered climate, some businesses and investments were charging ahead to reinvent the city’s tourism offering, but that could be put into overdrive by Olympic-related investment, she said.

“New products and experiences are a key priority for the Gold Coast.  We will need the support of local, state and federal governments.”

The Gold Coast tourism sector took a $3 billion hit in revenue in 2020, compared to the record year of 2019 when more than 14.2 million visitors  flocked to the coast spending $5.9 billion.

The city now aims to attract the lion’s share of Australian travellers who can’t holiday overseas, despite predictions by tourism bosses including Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce that the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out could mean the resumption of international travel by October. That’s still a market of 9.9 million people who may instead travel domestically, including around 7 million leisure travellers, who spent a combined $64 billion overseas in 2019.

O’Callaghan said the Gold Coast remained the most searched for destination in Australia.

“What we are seeing in our research is that still the biggest in-demand reason for people to come to the Gold Coast is our beaches, it is our hinterland and then our theme parks and dining.

“Now we are in a market for repeat visitors as well, how can we keep it fresh, new and exciting? That doesn’t mean moving away from what we’re traditionally known for, it just offering other ways to experience it,” she said.

“What do our ocean-side experiences look like; what do our hinterland experiences look like?

“We can talk to our community about it, but I would also say this – some of the most unpopular projects I’ve worked on have now become very successful.”