Village Roadshow boss blasts Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter in letter to Minister Kate Jones

THE boss of Australia’s biggest theme park operator has slammed Gold Coast Tourism’s new promotion as “so bland it might as well be Hobart”.

THE boss of Australia’s biggest theme park operator has slammed Gold Coast Tourism’s new promotion as “so bland it might as well be Hobart”.

In a letter to Queensland State Tourism Minister Kate Jones, furious Village Roadshow co-CEO Graham Burke says he is “bitterly disappointed” by a 32-page Gold Coast Tourism promotional supplement distributed nationwide earlier this month which only mentions theme parks once.

Pages from the 32-page Gold Coast Tourism supplement booklet distributed nationwide earlier this month at a cost of $470,000 as part of the first major promotion of the city's 'We are ...' based rebrand. 1.4m of the inserts were distributed.

Melbourne-based Mr Burke wrote its content appeared based on “flawed and ultimately self-serving” research to “fit a bias against theme parks historically displayed by the CEO of Gold Coast Tourism, Martin Winter”.

Co-CEO and co-Executive Chairman of Village Roadshow Graham Burke: “Gold Coast Tourism is promoting esoteric activities along with a bunch of their favourite restaurants.” Picture: Nathan Dyer

“Gold Coast Tourism is promoting esoteric activities along with a bunch of their favourite restaurants,” he wrote.

“All of these activities combined don’t come vaguely near the seven million people that attend theme parks annually, that generate all those flights into the Gold Coast and are the compelling driver of the southeast Queensland economy.

“The content of this expensive campaign makes the destination so bland it might as well be Hobart or Noosa and it saddens me to see such a flagrant waste of taxpayers’ precious money, albeit the people charged may be well intentioned but completely misguided.”

Mr Winter, copied into Mr Burke’s March 20 letter which was leaked to the Bulletin, has sent Mr Burke the research underpinning the new campaign.

“One of Village’s senior marketers was involved in undertaking the research. (Graham) just doesn’t want to believe it,” Mr Winter said.

Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter.

The Gold Coast Tourism booklet, one of the first major promotions of the city’s new “We are …” tourism rebrand, cost $470,000, with 1.4 million booklets inserted into nationwide newspapers.

It mentions theme parks once, focusing on cafes, outdoor destinations, bars, restaurants, events, beaches and city “influencers”.

Pages from the 32-page $470,000 Gold Coast Tourism supplement booklet distributed nationwide earlier this month as part of the first major promotion of the city's 'We are ...' based rebrand. 1.4m of the inserts were distributed.

The tourism rebrand, moving away from the city’s “Famous for fun” slogan and replacing it with “Live like a local”, has backing from Mayor Tom Tate and Tourism Queensland chair Bob East.

But speaking to the Bulletin, Mr Burke said he felt the entire Gold Coast Tourim rebrand was “idiotic”.

“They are ignoring their strengths,” he said.

“If you want food, Melbourne has the best restaurants in Australia, possibly the world. If you want fashion you can get that in Sydney and Melbourne.

“Much of what Gold Coast Tourism are promoting is in Hobart and Gosford. The theme parks will attract people and then they do the ancillary activities. The ancillary activities won’t attract people.”

Pages from the 32-page $470,000 Gold Coast Tourism supplement booklet distributed nationwide earlier this month as part of the first major promotion of the city's 'We are ...' based rebrand. 1.4m of the inserts were distributed.

Gold Coast Tourism chairman Paul Donovan said Mr Winter recognised the importance of theme parks. He said it was “rubbish” to say he was biased against them and a new city promotion later this year would reference theme parks.

Gold Coast Tourism chairman Paul Donovan has personally called Village Roadshow boss Graham Burke and they have arranged to meet to clear the air about Mr Burke’s criticism of Gold Coast Tourism’s latest campaign. Picture by Scott Fletcher

Mr Donovan added Dreamworld theme park CEO Craig Davidson was on the GC Tourism board.

“Everyone who has seen the advertising thinks it has hit the mark,” Mr Donovan said.

“We are trying to broaden the appeal of the Gold Coast. Theme parks are part of our DNA but we are saying the Gold Coast has everything: the beaches, theme parks, golf courses, Hinterland, now the restaurants and the coffee offering.”

Mr Donovan said he liked Mr Burke and appreciated Village Roadshow’s investment in marketing the city through its parks including Movie World, Sea World and Wet ‘n’ Wild.

The pair had arranged to meet after Easter to further discuss any concerns.