Tourism calls for coastal Queensland renaissance ahead of 2032 Olympics
From beach bars on the Gold Coast to eco-resorts in Moreton Bay, some of Queensland’s most prized assets could be given amazing transformations in the lead up to the 2032 Olympics.
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The 2032 Olympics could deliver a new-age renaissance for Queensland tourist attractions stretching the entire coastline with reef resorts, island getaways and new marinas to dazzle visitors.
From beach bars on the Gold Coast to eco-resorts in Moreton Bay, tourism leaders want to see a new wave of investment to take advantage of our greatest asset – Queensland’s sparkling coastline.
Award-winning tourism researcher Associate Professor Pierre Benckendorff from the University of Queensland said we needed to excel at our strengths to meet the expectations of the millions who will flock to the Sunshine State in the years before and after the Olympics.
“We can’t pretend to be something we’re not,” he said.
“Queensland is known for its beaches, for the Great Barrier Reef, the tropical islands.
“These are icons that we’ve already got, but a lot of the product is looking a bit sad to be honest.
“Places that compete with Queensland like Thailand, Fiji, Bali or even Sri Lanka are now offering really high-end five-star resorts and I’m not sure we’re doing that.
“Our natural experiences are already world-class, but we have to look at the weakest link, which at the moment is the accommodation and the service experience.”
Mining magnate Gina Rinehart is among those advocating for new investment in marinas for the superyacht glitterati who would consider coming to Queensland for the Greatest Show on Earth.
“There’s the opportunity for more marinas, including for the bigger spending larger yachts, with attractive marine surrounds, for example sandy bars, gourmet supplies, jewellery and clothing boutiques, ice cream parlours, cafes and restaurants, like they have overseas,” she said.
“For the Brisbane Games, the end of July and August is the most popular time to be in Europe, and USA holiday parts, including the Caribbean, so potential tourists need to be encouraged to leave Europe, and other nice places in the northern hemisphere, and world class marinas, airport spaces for private jets, and other improved facilities would certainly help attract them.”
Leading demographer Bernard Salt said it was the time for “bold, gutsy thinking”, a view backed by Star Entertainment Chairman John O’Neill.
“It’s not the time to be scared of failure,” said Mr O’Neill.
“It’s really important to keep the excitement levels up as we move towards Brisbane and beyond.”
The expected surge in popularity also presents the chance for Brisbane to become home to Australia’s biggest international airport.
Since opening its second runway last year, Brisbane Airport already has the capacity to become Australia’s busiest international arrival point while plans are already underway for a new terminal to be delivered in the next decade.
It would allow Brisbane to overtake Sydney and Melbourne as Australia’s busiest international airport, with holiday-makers from overseas often flying over the top of Brisbane to get to southern capitals before taking domestic links back to Queensland.
Brisbane also has the advantage of 24 operations, despite objections from some locals.
The potential tourism boom will present its own set of challenges, particularly for the industry workforce and the businesses that will employ them.
Richard Robinson, an associate professor of hospitality and tourism at UQ, said better standards of training, both for employees and employers, would help improve the tourism product.
He said making tourism operators undergo accreditation courses would help raise the standard.
“It’s not an easy industry to operate in, so making operators have formal qualifications could be beneficial,” he said.
The Gold Coast has just given the green light to a trial for the city’s first beach bar, an experience already offered in beach destinations around the world.
Called Kurrawa Beach Club, the attraction could pave the way for other beach bars similar in destinations across Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Mayor Tom Tate said beach clubs could be an enticing tourism asset if managed properly.
“Any city that is serious about tourism must renew and refresh its tourism products and services,” he said.
“Part of that is through establishing attractions both locals and tourists enjoy.
“It is too early to say if this trial will lead to more established beach bars on our coast (but) as Mayor, I’d like to see several along the beach given it is almost 60km from one end of the coastline to the other.”
Moreton Bay is also in line to become one of the main benefactors of the Games, with high-speed ferry networks and island eco-resorts on the agenda, along with the revitalisation of mainland foreshore areas.
Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Peter Flannery said planning was already underway to transform the region into a destination in its own right.
“No longer will we be the ‘bit’ in between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast,” he said.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to capture the world’s attention, so we’re already off and running from the starting blocks.
“Before Covid hit we saw tourism surge to become a $1 billion industry here in Moreton Bay for the first time, with around 3.6 million people visiting our region each year.
“We’re investigating how Bribie Island or Redcliffe could be home to express boat services to Moreton Island.
“Just as Expo 88 modernised Brisbane, the 2032 Olympics will be Moreton Bay’s time to shine.”
Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said it was time to unlock Moreton Bay’s untapped potential.
“Moreton Bay has an archipelago that can rival any global tourist destination by 2032, but we need to get moving and we need to do it sustainably,” she said.
We need to stop looking at each of these islands individually or in isolation – we need a strategy that plans and celebrates the collective potential of Moreton Bay.”
Plan to put Brisbane first on the itinerary
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner wants the state capital to become the first destination international travellers visit Down Under as the city prepares for its shot at Olympic glory.
With the eyes of globe to focus on Brisbane for 16 days in 2032, attention has already turned to how tourism leaders will sell the city, and the state, to a worldwide audience in the billions.
Brisbane has never commanded the international recognition of Sydney or even Melbourne, but Councillor Schrinner said he wanted that to change by putting the city at the forefront of travellers’ minds.
“I’ve long been of the view that we need to stop marketing Brisbane as ‘a’ place to visit in Australia and start marketing Brisbane as ‘the first’ place to visit in Australia,” he said.
“It’s the place with the best lifestyle in Australia and this is no longer a well-kept secret, with record numbers of Melbourne and Sydney residents wanting to relocate here.
“While Aussies have witnessed how Brisbane has evolved into such a modern and vibrant lifestyle-focused city, we now need to get the message out to the rest of the world.”
Councillor Schrinner said imagery of Brisbane’s clean, green city could front tourism campaigns to lure international visitors in the years before and after the Games.
“We have the ideal vehicle to supercharge how we market this amazing city we live in,” he said.
“We should be selling Brisbane as the perfect place for people to begin their trip to Australia.
“And we should be reminding them how Brisbane is the best destination from where they can travel to other parts of Australia, like the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru or even Sydney and Melbourne.”
It is hoped Brisbane’s star turn will have spin-off benefits for the rest of the state as international travellers are likely to add extra vacation time to the end of any Olympic jaunt.
Tourism and Events Queensland CEO Leanne Coddington said Brisbane’s growing reputation could benefit the entire state’s tourism sector.
“Over the past five years we have seen Brisbane’s reputation as a renowned travel destination grow across the world, and what the Olympics now provides is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to use that momentum to ensure our state is firmly top of mind for decades to come – not only for travellers, but for event proponents as well,” she said.
“That direct correlation between destination awareness and visitation will be crucial for Queensland because we believe travellers from all over the world will find exactly what they are looking for here – that is transformative experiences with a strong focus on sustainability in a unique destination.
“Our unbeatable lifestyle, amazing year-round weather and friendly locals coupled with world-class hotels, sought-after restaurants and authentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences will continue to play a key role.
This, coupled with our proximity and ease of access to tourism destinations right across the state, from the Gold or Sunshine Coasts, to the Whitsundays, Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef or west to the Outback, demonstrates that Queensland really is the best address on Earth.”
Star Entertainment Chairman John O’Neill said hosting the Olympics was the perfect platform for the next great Queensland tourism campaign.
“We’ve had ‘beautiful one day, perfect the next’ which was incredibly successful,” he said.
“We need to remind people how beautiful Queensland is, how safe it is.
“We want to show people there’s this new world city called Brisbane, so come and have a visit before 2032.”
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