Coronavirus: Destination Gold Coast chair Paul Donovan and CEO Annaliese Battista fight for millions in funding to help Coast recover

“People love the Gold Coast. People love to put s**t on the Gold Coast but let me tell you, it is the greatest place you could ever go to.”

GOLD Coast tourism bosses have launched an impassioned defence of the city, praising it as “the greatest place on Earth” as they fight to secure an extra $4.6 million in funding.

Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan and chief executive Annaliese Battista this afternoon made their funding pitch to the Gold Coast City Council’s special budget committee, unveiling plans for a big budget new campaign to bring visitors back after COVID-19.

Outside the meeting, Mr Donovan insisted the Gold Coast could bounce back.

Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan and Mayor Tom Tate deep in conversation at a roundtable last year. Picture Glenn Hampson

“International (visitors) will not be here until well into next year but let me tell you we have to get our share, we have to be in the market, we have to be listened to. We have a great product.

“I have given 20 years to this product and let me tell you our winter is (southern Australian’s) summer. Where would you go on a break? I’m a Hobart boy but you wouldn’t go to Hobart in winter would you? You’d come to the Gold Coast.

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“My poor dead mother and father will never speak to me again (for criticising Hobart) but it’s true.

“Just have a look at the weather outside. This is where you want to be.

“People love the Gold Coast. People love to put s--t on the Gold Coast but let me tell you, it is the greatest place you could ever go to.”

Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista in Broadbeach. Picture: Jerad Williams

Destination Gold Coast data revealed in today’s Gold Coast Bulletin shows up to 10 million fewer tourists would visit the Gold Coast this year, costing the economy up to $4.3 billion, a whopping 74 per cent decline on 2019.

Ms Battista said figures showed more than 60,000 jobs which relied on the sector were at risk, around 20 per cent of the city’s entire workforce.

She told a media conference this afternoon the city’s marketing organisation was planning to advertise and lure holiday makers back to the city.

More than 60,000 jobs which rely on tourism are at risk on the Gold Coast.

Destination Gold Coast asked for a continuation of its $15.5 million base funding, as well as a one-off COVID-19 funding package of $7.3 million.

That would be an increase of $4.1 million from the $3.2 million in extra funding council dished out last year.

The core of Destination Gold Coast’s pitch is international tourism will not resume until 2021 so the highly lucrative domestic market will become hugely competitive.

Council will make a decision on Destination Gold Coast’s funding on May 25.