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Gold Coast fights to turn around tourism trend
| 20 March 2009
MEDIA RELEASE
GOLD COAST FIGHTS TO TURN AROUND TOURISM TREND
Australian visitors to the Gold Coast declined 9.6% and Australian visitor spend on the Gold Coast decreased 0.9% from December 2007 to December 2008 according to data released today by Tourism Research Australia.
Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter said 3.3 million Australian tourists spent $2.9 billion on the Gold Coast in what was a tough year for the whole tourism industry.
“The businesses of the Gold Coast tourism industry aren’t surprised by today’s data which indicates less Australian’s travelled domestically in 2008, we have been discussing a slip in domestic tourism numbers for some time,” he said.
“However that doesn’t mean we accept any decline and the Gold Coast tourism industry has fought back with increased marketing activity focused on our biggest source markets and high conversion segments.”
“This is reflected in the current YourCoast campaign targeting South East Queensland residents, substantial advertising action with our airline partners, and tactical promotions on radio, television, cinema, print, online, billboards, buses, trams and direct mail all selling our city to potential holiday makers right now.”
“Gold Coast Tourism will only intensify our aggressive approach to stimulate interest, achieve conversion, increase visitation and indeed steal market share from competing destinations.”
National Visitors, Spend and Nights on the Gold Coast
• National Visitors = 3,352,000 (down 9.6%)
• National Visitor Spend = $2,999,000,000 (down 0.9%)
• National Visitor Nights = 14,748,000 (down 10.5%)
Top Three national Source Markets by Visitor Number
• Brisbane Visitors = 946,000 (down 0.2%)
• Sydney Visitors = 532,000 (down 6.5%)
• Melbourne Visitors = 347,000 (down 9.9%)
National Visitors and Spend in Queensland
• National Visitors = 16,711,000 (down 7.3%)
• National Visitor Spend = $12,427,000,000 (up 2.2%)
National Visitors and Spend in Australia
• National Visitors = 70,491,000 (down 4.5%)
• National Visitor Spend = $44,625,000,000 (up 2.5%)
Source: Tourism Research Australia – National Visitor Survey and International Visitor Survey, Year Ending December 2009
ENDS.
For comment please contact:
Gold Coast Tourism Director Communications, Ben Pole
0437 343 104 or ben.pole@gctourism.com