Destination Gold Coast: Tourism body members prepare to vote on merger to become Experience Gold Coast

The head of the Gold Coast’s tourism marking body has urged members to back its merger into a super entity, warning the industry is at a major “inflection point”.

The head of the Gold Coast’s tourism marking body has urged members to back its merger into a super entity, warning the industry is at a major “inflection point”.

Destination Gold Coast (DGC) is set to merge with other council-controlled entities on September 4 in a plan to establish the city as a “premier destination for tourism, events, arts and education”.

Members vote on the Gold Coast City Council-backed plan at an extraordinary general meeting at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on August 9.

When DGC chairwoman Adrienne Readings, speaking at a Thursday night information session, urged members to vote for the plan, saying it was critical the city put its best foot forward in delivering on tourism in the nine years leading up to the 2032 Olympic Games.

Destination GC Chair Adrienne Readings. Picture Glenn Hampson

“It is timely we align with a clear pathway leading into the Olympics and Paralympics,” she said.

‘The formation of this new organisation creates a strategy and unified approach under a single organisation and by consolidating all these roles, it will deliver sustainable growth in visitation and investment and drive benefits for our visitor economy and community.

“This is a critical inflection point for the city.”

When asked by a member what would happen if the organisation’s members voted against endorsing the plan, Ms Readings replied: “Clearly it wouldn’t be ideal and we would like the members to be on this journey, however, we have to be brutally honest that the option put to us would be asset sale – sell the (intellectual property) to Experience Gold Coast or if everyone is hellbent on keeping DGC independent with its membership then it would be a vastly different organisation because, let’s face it, 85 per cent of funding comes from City of the Gold Coast.

“They have passed a resolution to do all tourism and marketing through Experience Gold Coast so it would leave DGC (only) with funding from various state bodies and the membership, something which makes up two per cent of our funding.

Destination GC Chair Adrienne Readings. Picture Glenn Hampson

“By voting in favour of this, you will allow Destination GC to become a very important part of this newly-formed organisation.

“The design of Experience Gold Coast has taken the elements that didn’t work (out) and left the elements that did.”

The new organisation’s board will be appointed in August.

The Bulletin understands more than 100 people have applied for the posts.

The board will have eight non-executive members, with four representing tourism, events, education and the arts.

The rest will be made up of represents from skills and experiences, as well as Mayor Tom Tate and council CEO Tim Baker.

Expressions of interest for the CEO post closed on Friday.

Interim Experience Gold Coast CEO Chris Mills confirmed he would apply for the position.