‘You’re not going to get mugged’: Casino boss says tourism campaigns should focus on Brisbane’s safety

Star Entertainment chairman John O’Neill.Credit: Getty

The head of a gambling company with casinos in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sydney has called for a new approach to tourism to ensure Australia can compensate for the loss of Chinese tourists.

Star Entertainment chairman John O’Neill said on Wednesday the lack of visitors from China was a concern for everyone who is dependent on inbound travellers.

But Mr O’Neill said tourists from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, Japan, and south-east Asia would still come back if they had a reason to.

He said the challenge for Australia’s tourism stakeholders was in coming up with a “storyline” that went beyond beaches, food and wine.

Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka during a visit to the airline’s Brisbane maintenance facility.Credit: Dan Peled

Mr O’Neill suggested Australia, and Queensland, was a safe bet for tourists because it was “hygienic” and had “law and order” to complement everything that nature had to offer.

“The borders will be open [and] this is a great place to visit. You’re not going to get mugged walking down the streets of Brisbane, it’s safe and secure,” Mr O’Neill told a lunch.

“It’s such a good story, we just have to try and tell it.”

Mr O’Neill made the comments at the inaugural Brisbane Broncos “The Network” lunch, where he was a guest speaker alongside Virgin Australia chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka.

Ms Hrdlicka said Brisbane had a lot to offer and should be “super confident and build the city that we need”.

“It’s already an amazing city, and building around the river – and not being afraid of building around the river – is important,” she said, referring to the recent floods.

The state government has relaunched its “Nothing Beats Queensland” tourism campaign.

Their comments came after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told parliament her government would relaunch the “Nothing Beats Queensland” tourism campaign that it used after the 2011 floods.

“We are bringing it back,” Ms Palaszczuk said on Wednesday.

“For the past two years, Queenslanders have fought bravely against COVID-19. Just as we started to see the light at the end of the tunnel, floodwaters ripped through much of the south-east, causing more heartache for local businesses.

“Following the floods in 2011, we saw Australians return to Queensland in their droves as a result of this campaign.

“Through our ‘Nothing Beats Queensland’ campaign, we expect to reach more than nine million people this year. In total, this initiative could generate up to $3.4 billion for local businesses between March and June.”

Mr O’Neill told the lunch that Star, which is behind the Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development, had shown resilience throughout the pandemic and was enjoying an unexpected upside.

“The people who are visiting our three premises at Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sydney are spending more money. The average spend is up substantially. There’s maybe a gap between the haves and the have-nots, but the disposable income of those going out is substantially up.”