Projects and Initiatives

Some of the current Tourism related projects are summarised below. For further information about any of these projects please email Economic Development tourism@goldcoast.qld.gov.au or phone (07) 5581 7473.

Tastes of Gold Coast
This annual food and wine festival is held every August. A celebration of the good life, the festival provides a taste of the Gold Coast’s lifestyle and what makes it one of the most culturally diverse destinations to live, work and play. A tasty selection of internationally renowned events to feast your senses on. An initiative of Gold Coast City Council's Economic Development Branch. For more information: www.tastesofgoldcoast.com.au.

Springbrook Tourism Visioning Plan
Council's Economic Development Branch, in partnership with the Natural Areas Management Unit, is currently conducting visitor research and working on a visitor management plan for Springbrook. The aim of this project is to develop a vision for tourism on Springbrook focusing on world class visitor experiences that celebrate and protect the area's ecological values. It will also explore ways to improve the sustainability, viability and success of Springbrook tourism businesses.

Adventure and Backpacker Travel
Council’s Economic Development Branch began working with the local adventure travel industry in 2002. At that time, the city attracted only 93,000 international backpackers per year. Since then, international backpacker visitors to the Gold Coast has grown over 37 per cent with 139,000 international backpackers visiting the Gold Coast in 2009. Over 46,000 more international backpackers visited the Gold Coast in 2009 compared to six years ago when this work began. The Gold Coast’s share of the Queensland backpacker market has also grown from 31% to 37% during this period. Key initiatives for 2010 include: cooperative advertising and feature stories in leading Australian and international backpacker publications, activities to increase the perception of the Gold Coast as an adventure and youth destination to all target markets, and regular industry development and networking events. For more information: www.adventuregc.com

Gold Coast and Hinterland Tourism Opportunity Plan (TOP)
The Gold Coast and Hinterland TOP aims to inform and motivate tourism industry stakeholders to actively pursue tourism investment and infrastructure opportunities by identifying new opportunities and upgrades required to support tourism growth in the region. The TOP has now been finalised following research into tourist demand and supply on the Gold Coast, and after extensive community consultation, and is now available to view on the Tourism QLD website. Please click here to view the TOP.