Coronavirus Gold Coast: How COVID-19 changed the Surfers Paradise skyline

The coronavirus has changed a lot about our day-to-day lives but it’s also altered the Gold Coast’s famous skyline in a significant way you may not have noticed.

THE lights that have announced the Glitter Strip to the world for decades have dimmed.

But one of the Gold Coast’s leading tourism figures says they will be back “brighter than ever’’ when we’re all safe and visitors return to the city.

Photos taken over the Easter school break show many of the city’s iconic towers have significantly fewer lights on at night.

The Surfers Paradise skyline has many fewer lights on thanks to a lack of tourists. Picture Glenn Hampson

Occupancy rates have plummeted since the COVID-19-induced border lockdowns put the Coast’s biggest industry on ice.

But Destination Gold Coast chief executive Annaliese Battista said the city would bounce back.

“We have billions of dollars worth of tourism assets lying idle which will be ready to rock and roll but we need to be patient,” she said.

“The lights will definitely come back on at full bore but it is certainly a strange and very un-Gold Coast scene to see the lights off on the Glitter Strip.

How the skyline normally looks. Photo: Chris Schramm

“That said, the lights being off and people being stuck at home will help future-proof the sector at this time.”

The sole Gold Coast tower that has continued to host visitors is the Voco in Surfers Paradise, which has been home to people forced to isolate for 14 days after returning from overseas trips.

Ms Battista said the Coast’s tourism economy could begin to reopen once the pandemic eased.

“The quicker we can get on top of this, the sooner we can move to reopen things and can bounce back brighter than ever,” she said.