New tourism leader on a winner

NOOSA has been known as a holiday suburb of Melbourne for many years, but Andrew Saunders took the one extra step that delivered him to Gympie.

Destination Gympie Region. Tourism Development Manager Andrew Saunders. Picture: Tanya Easterby

NOOSA has been known as a holiday suburb of Melbourne for many years, but Andrew Saunders took the one extra step that delivered him to Gympie.

The region's new tourism boss says he has come a long way - in kilometres and quality of life - since his days as a Melbourne physiotherapist.

He is hopeful his move to our area will be as good for us as it has been for him.

Physiotherapy was, he says, no longer what he wanted out of life.

Like most migrants to the region, he first came north for a holiday.

And he became a salesman who strongly believes in his product.

"I felt I couldn't press on necks, backs and bottoms for the rest of my life while staring at a blank wall," he told The Gympie Times.

"I had done a masters of management, with electives in marketing and, as many Melbourne people do, I went up to Noosa for a holiday."

During that first holiday, Mr Saunders went to Noosa Springs to see if they needed anyone to help with business development.

"The people at Noosa Springs didn't have anything at first but, a few months later, they rang and asked if I wanted to be business development manager," he said.

"I packed the car and up I came."

In four years there he helped steer Noosa Springs "from being a golf course to being a fully integrated golf resort, spa and conference centre".

That was between 2003 and 2007 and it led him to become involved with Tourism Noosa.

"Tourism contributes about 5% of Gympie's gross regional product; (that's about $100 million a year in a $2 billion a year economy)," he said.

"And that is a figure that could grow dramatically.

"On the Sunshine Coast, tourism is about 17% of gross regional product and that is worth something like $1.4 billion.

"So the opportunity is huge in this region.

"We are between two good, well-recognised tourism brands, the Sunshine Coast and Fraser Island.

"We are part of the Sunshine Coast as far as Tourism and Events Queensland is concerned.

"Destination Gympie Region is the recognised tourism organisation for the region and that makes me tourism development manager for the region.

"I report directly to the (Gympie Regional Council) CEO (Bernard Smith)."

I was able to develop a lot of good relationships, including with Garth Prowd, an old Gympie boy who formed USM Events.

"They're doing Noosa Triathlon, the second biggest triathlon in the world, this weekend. The triathlon at Rainbow Beach is separate but is an event with real promise," he said.

Tourism leader

Who? Andrew Saunders

Tourism CV: Taking Noosa Springs from golf course to integrated golfing resort, member of Sunshine Coast Destination Ltd

Vision: A unique Gympie tourism brand