Surfers Paradise tourism information centre: Cavill Ave booth to close in February, infuriating visitors

The Glitter Strip’s only tourist information centre is being scrapped, leaving visitors nowhere to go for face-to-face advice and help booking tickets to the city’s attractions. DETAILS

The Glitter Strip’s only tourist information centre is being scrapped, leaving visitors nowhere to go for face-to-face advice and help booking tickets to the city’s attractions.

Council and Experience Gold Coast have no plans to replace the information booth at Cavill Ave in Surfers Paradise when it is shut and its three staff made redundant on February 7.

The booth has been a mainstay of the tourism strip for more than 42 years. It provides advice, information, brochures and maps to tourists, as well as helping them book tours and tickets for attractions across the city, including theme parks.

However it is being demolished to make way for a multimillion-dollar upgrade of the central Surfers precinct.

The Surfers Paradise tourist information booth in Cavill Ave Mall is being closed. Scottish tourists Rachel Rutherford and Aimee Collins think it's a bad idea. Picture Glenn Hampson

Tourists who use the centre told the Bulletin they were shocked by the decision but Council and tourism leaders have defended the move.

“While the Visitor Information Centre has delivered a great service and been an important component of the destination for many years, as part of the City of Gold Coast’s long-term plans to revitalise Surfers Paradise, the structure will be removed,” Mr Warn said.

“Our dedicated team has provided exceptional service to visitors of the Gold Coast, and we are working closely with the three impacted team members to explore potential redeployment opportunities.

“The City of Gold Coast has worked collaboratively with Experience Gold Coast throughout this project and the removal timeline was adjusted to early 2025 to ensure a seamless experience for visitors in destination across the summer holiday season.”

Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn. Picture Glenn Hampson

Mr Warn said the building was at “the end of its serviceable life and no longer meets current standards for safety or functionality”.

He said tourists seeking information could instead go online.

“Experience Gold Coast is continuing to enhance its online platforms and apps, and exploring new opportunities to ensure tourism support remains accessible and convenient as well as providing visitors with the best possible in-destination experience,” Mr Warn said.

It comes months after the Bulletin revealed the struggles the city had faced post-Covid to bring international tourists back.

The decision puts the Gold Coast at odds with other tourism centres.

Visit Brisbane runs 19 visitor information centres in the greater Brisbane area, including at regional locations such as Beaudesert, Ipswich and Logan.

Coffs Harbour residents Noah Nouraddine 8, Sandra and Michael McInerney use the centre all the time and will be sad to see it go. Picture Glenn Hampson

However apart from a tourism lounge at Harbour Town run and funded by centre management there will now be no such centres in the Gold Coast council area.

“There are no plans to relocate the centre,” a council spokesman said.

“The City of Gold Coast and Experience Gold Coast will be working together to explore a digital solution for visitor information services moving forward.”

Area councillor Darren Taylor said the removal of the Visitor Information Centre had been in council’s long-term plans for the revitalisation of Surfers Paradise.

“We are a modern city and we have got to get smarter about how we provide information to visitors and that’s what we are going to do with Experience Gold Coast,” he said.

Gold Coast Councillor Darren Taylor. Picture: Jerad Williams

“The centre won’t come back in this format or area but that doesn’t meant there won’t be a shopfront or another opportunity to provide the same service.

“This has been part of the long-term discussions for revitalising the area and opening up the whole mall.

“It has always been the plan to open it up and connect the (Nerang) River to the sea.”

It’s understood the decision was made in early 2023 when plans for Cavill Mall were green-lit by the council, but no announcement was made at the time.

The move has surprised and saddened tourists who say visitor information centres provide an invaluable resource.

Cavill Mall is set to be upgraded. Picture Glenn Hampson

Aimee Collins and Rachel Rutherford this week visited the Gold Coast from Scotland and said they had used many similar centres while travelling up the east coast of Australia.

“We booked the east coast with a tour company which is semi-guided so when there’s extra stuff we want to do, we usually do (through information centres),” Ms Rutherford said.

“We booked something to do in Brisbane from a centre in Byron Bay this week.

“I've done that a few times in Asia as well, especially in Vietnam.”

Also shocked were Coffs Harbour residents Michael and Sandra McInerney, who visited the Surfers Paradise centre twice this week while on holidays with their grandson Noah Nouraddine, 8.

They also used it to book tickets to Warner Bros Movie World.

“The booth was fantastic and we have used it twice in the few days we have been here,” she said.

“We had gift cards and we didn’t know how to use them so the lady there was able to show us.

“It is disappointing it is closing because we come up here regularly and we don’t do online stuff so we use this.”

VISITOR CENTRES IN TOURIST HOT SPOTS

NEW YORK

New York City provides a number of visitor information centres. The most prominent, at tourist trap Times Square, provides visitors with guides, maps, pamphlets, brochures, coupons and discounts pertaining to all there is to do and see in the city, with a bilingual staff available for further guidance.

SYDNEY

Destination NSW provides six visitor information centres across Sydney. Most prominent is the centre in the heritage-listed Customs House at Circular Quay, where staff provide visitors with maps, itineraries and brochures on what there is to see and do in Sydney. Volunteer Sydney Ambassadors also roam the streets of Circular Quay and The Rocks in red shirts providing visitors with information and advice.

LONDON

Tourist haven London provides five visitor information centres, including at prominent locations including Piccadilly Circus and King’s Cross. Visitors can pick up free travel maps and book tickets for theatre shows, tours and attractions.

BRISBANE

Visit Brisbane runs a remarkable 19 visitor information centres across the greater Brisbane area. The most prominent is the award-winning Visitor Information Centre at the Regent Centre on Queen St which offers complementary brochures, maps and guides and also hosts a TransLink desk. Visit Brisbane also runs centres at regional locations including Bribie Island, Redcliffe, Beaudesert, Canungra, Tamborine Mountain and even Logan.

GYMPIE

The Destination Gympie Region Visitor Information Centre is located at the southern entry to Gympie on the Bruce Highway. Fossicking licences can be purchased and the centre provides information on the things to see and do in the Gympie region including Rainbow Beach, Tin Can Bay, Cooloola National Parks, K’gari (formerly Fraser Island), Kilkivan, Goomeri and the Mary Valley.