Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk criticised for failing to acknowledge contribution of theme parks in tourism speech
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been criticised for a major speech about tourism delivered on the Gold Coast that failed to mention some of the city’s biggest attractions. Here’s what she said.
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PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has been slammed for a keynote speech at a tourism forum on the Gold Coast that failed to mention the contribution of the city’s theme parks.
Addressing the DestinationQ Forum in Broadbeach on Thursday Ms Palaszczuk referenced major drawcards including the Logie Awards, Gold Coast Marathon and Schoolies.
She also praised a “new sophistication” being brought to Gold Coast tourism, reflected in the opening of the Langham Hotel at the Jewel.
“From the TV Week Logie Awards, the Gold Coast Marathon, to just last weekend, the Gold Coast 500 and then of course there’s Schoolies coming up, it (the Gold Coast) is a place Australia has always come to party,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“But also to where the world now comes to invest.
“This morning, I was back at the Langham Hotel with the Tourism Minister and Assistant Minister with tourism investors as part of DestinationQ to showcase just how great this city is.
“And it’s brought a new sophistication to the Gold Coast and that sophistication is spreading right across the state.”
Theodore MP Mark Boothman, whose electorate includes both Dreamworld and Movie World, said the theme parks were “critical” to the local economy, employing thousands of people.
“It is very disappointing to read that our local theme parks did not rate a mention in the Premier’s DestinationQ forum address on the Gold Coast. They are a major drawcard for domestic and international tourists to visit our region,” Mr Boothman said.
“Our theme parks are critical to the local economy. Village Roadshow Theme Parks alone employs over four and a half thousand workers during peak holidays.
“Our theme parks are continuously investing in the local community and broader Gold Coast region, creating jobs and career opportunities for Gold Coast residents – particularly our youth.
“As we all know, the Premier loves a red carpet and perhaps she should be rolling it out for our theme parks.”
LNP leader and Broadwater MP David Crisafulli said theme parks were the “backbone” of Gold Coast tourism and the lack of acknowledgment in the Premier’s speech was a “glaring omission”.
“Many of them are investing significantly after a really difficult couple of years. That shows you they’re in it for the long haul,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“For there to be no reference at all to how significant those assets have been and will be for the future shows everything you need to know that the government doesn’t understand Gold Coast tourism, and that’s troubling.”
A spokesperson for the Premier said the government had invested $67.2 million in Gold Coast theme parks to keep them afloat during the pandemic.
“DestinationQ is Queensland’s leading tourism industry event with around 900 tourism industry representatives attending from across the state,” the spokesperson said.
“While it is being held on the Gold Coast this year, it’s important the event highlights the contribution of tourism operators and experiences from right across the state.
“The focus of the Premier’s speech was to launch the new 10-year tourism strategy to 2032 and announce 2023 as the Year of Accessible Tourism.
“The Premier highlighted the contribution of theme parks and their investment in new attractions in her speech opening The Langham only two weeks ago.”
The controversy comes in the wake of a number of announcements regarding major investments by theme parks on the Gold Coast totalling about half a billion dollars.
Village Roadshow Theme Parks has spent about $50m in its almost completed New Atlantis precinct at Sea World and in July announced plans for a new Wizard of Oz themed precinct at Movie World.
The Bulletin last week reported it was also planning to spend $333m to build a hotel and function centre at the Oxenford park.
In August Greg Yong, CEO of Dreamworld owner Ardent Leisure, said the company had “a pipeline of exciting new attractions set to be announced over the next six months.”
It is also not the first time there has been controversy over the role of theme parks in Gold Coast tourism.
In 2017, Gold Coast Tourism was blasted for distributing 32-page booklets in newspapers nationwide that only mentioned the parks once.
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