Gold Coast tourism: Business leaders welcome new Destination Gold Coast campaign

A Leading critic of the Gold Coast’s now-defunct tourism ads has welcomed the city’s new $2.5 million campaign.

A LEADING critic of the Gold Coast’s now-defunct tourism campaign has welcomed the city’s new back-to-basics campaign.

Destination Gold Coast has launched a new $2.5 million campaign aimed at the domestic tourism market in a bid to win back lapsed visitors.

Destination Gold Coast's new campaign hero images

Primarily focused on theme parks and attractions, it is promoting the Gold Coast as Australia’s playground.

And it’s music to the ears of outgoing Village Roadshow boss Graham Burke who famously branded a previous ‘We are destination Gold Coast’ campaign as being “so bland it might as well be Hobart”.

Mr Burke last night told the Gold Coast Bulletin he was glad to see the back of it.

“This is absolutely brilliant and it shows a massive point of difference for the Gold Coast from NSW, Western Australia and Victoria,” he said.

“I think those states will look at it with great envy so they can eat their hearts out.

“What we have as a tourist destination is unique.”

Surfing images will be featured in the campagin

Billboards and television ads will be run in major cities across the country

Destination Gold Coast chief executive Annaliese Battista said the campaign would play to the Glitter Strip’s strengths and took it back to a place it could own.

“People traditionally think of the Gold Coast’s competitors as other beach destinations but we know that when people are considering whether to come here they also think of Melbourne and Sydney too,” she said.

“This is just the first step and we have sensational offerings which cannot be equalled in Australia or the rest of the world.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE GOLD COAST BULLETIN - JUST $1 FOR THE FIRST 28 DAYS

Destination Gold Coast's new campaign hero images

“We are being bold and unapologetic about who we are and what to live up to the promises we make and deliver on them.”

Mayor Tom Tate welcomed the campaign.

“A key rule of marketing is to focus on your strongest attributes and our family-friendly nature, theme parks and value-for-money appeal has long been a selling point for our city for decades,” he said.

“I applaud those behind this campaign and look forward to seeing millions of happy families enjoying what us locals get to do everyday.”