New tourism research shows most interstate visitors to Gold Coast are from NSW and Victoria

Interstate tourists pump billions of dollars into the Gold Coast economy each year.

NEW data reveals the vast majority of interstate visitors to the Gold Coast are from NSW and Victoria, confirming the shocking impact on the tourism economy from the border closure.

The research also shows the Glitter Strip had recovered from the bushfires in the Hinterland in September last year before COVID-19 hit.

Traffic lining up at a border checkpoint. Picture: Glenn Hunt.

LNP leader Deb Frecklington says the latest Tourism and Events Queensland research shows 86 per cent of interstate arrivals were from the two southern states.

“Annastacia Palaszczuk’s border shambles is closing businesses and costing jobs on the Gold Coast,” Ms Frecklington told the Bulletin.

“Local jobs rely on almost two million tourists from New South Wales and Victoria coming north to the Gold Coast every year and spending in the community. Interstate tourists pump more than $2.3 billion into the Gold Coast every year.”

MORE NEWS

New virus case confirmed on Gold Coast

Police charge three men after marina blaze

Huge lift in flights fuels border speculation

The data, for the year ending December 2019, indicates that just over half (52 per cent) of visitors were interstate travellers.

“Interstate travel to the Gold Coast grew by 6.4 per cent to a record 2.2 million visitors,” the Gold Coast Regional Snapshot said.

The border closure on Griffith St at Coolangatta. Picture: Glenn Hunt.

“The holiday segment increased by 9.4 per cent to 1.2 million visitors and the Visiting Friends and Relatives visitation grew 27 per cent to a record 644,000.

“The Gold Coast welcomed a record number of visitors from Sydney – up 11.7 per cent to 694,000, while visitation from Melbourne grew by 6.5 per cent to 423,000.’

While the early September bushfires in northern NSW and Beechmont might have deterred holiday and business visitors to the Coast, the quarter data “suggests that this holiday destination recovered in December”.

“The Palaszczuk Labor Government has failed to do any economic modelling on their border closure, which shows it is flying blind through the biggest economic crisis for almost a century,” Ms Frecklington said.

Police directing cars from New South Wales at a border checkpoint. Picture: Glenn Hunt.

“The LNP understands that businesses and visitors need certainty and so we support reopening our border to all Australians in July.”

A report this week showed the Coast will lose more than $1.2 billion in interstate tourism revenue in the next three months unless the border is opened up.

Tourism Research Australia’s National Visitor Survey found southern visitors spent three times more than intrastate travellers ($374 million) in the July quarter last year. The Government will review the closure at the end of this month.