Gold Coast tourism: What we can learn from Tasmania

It’s small, cold, and marooned beneath the Bass Strait. But Tasmania has a big lesson for the Gold Coast, writes Keith Woods.

SOMEONE once said “all the best ideas are stolen”.

I’m not sure who, but that hardly matters. To be fair, they probably stole the line anyway.

There is an idea that has been rolled out in the Northern Territory and Tasmania friends that we in Queensland could badly do with pilfering.

Like all good ideas, it’s a very simple one. In a boon for local operators, the Tasmanian government on Monday handed out $7.5 million in vouchers to help support local tourism.

The scheme, called Make Yourself At Home, worked like this. Tasmanian residents could get $100 accommodation vouchers and $50 experience vouchers for trips within the state during September, October or November.

Families could claim up to $150 per adult for accommodation, and $50 per person for experiences for up to five people — up to $550 in total.

A Tourism Tasmania campaign poster.

A Tourism Tasmania campaign poster.

When the vouchers were made available on Monday, they were snapped up in 40 minutes. The Tasmanian government is now considering issuing more, with Premier Peter Gutwein hailing the scheme as a “roaring success”.

The Northern Territory has been running a similar scheme, offering locals tourism vouchers worth up to $200 if they contribute $200 of their own money.

The scheme first launched in July and further rounds are planned for November and February.

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It’s not hard to imagine how a similar project could help the Gold Coast. Getting $300 off accommodation and $50 per person off your theme park ticket would be a massive added incentive for families elsewhere in Queensland to spend more time here.

It could be just the ticket not just for tourism operators, but every small business they support, from restaurants to taxis to suppliers. Enough to keep them ticking over until border restrictions are finally lifted.

LNP Shadow Tourism Minister David Crisafulli. Picture: Alix Sweeney

So could the idea be stolen and repeated here? The office of Tourism Minister Kate Jones was asked for comment, but failed to respond by deadline.

However, this column understands Destination Gold Coast is actively examining the possibility for similar initiatives to support the industry here.

Broadwater MP and Shadow Tourism Minister David Crisafulli is among those who believe we need to act quickly.

“In the short term we need to find new ways of marketing our point of difference,” he said.

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“As minister, I would look at anything. Heaven knows we need it.”

Mr Crisafulli said there were also other ways that Queensland tourism could learn from Tasmania.

“In the last half a decade we have grown slower than Tassie, Victoria, New South Wales and even South Australia,” he said.

“That’s embarrassing for a state with such natural assets.

“We need to reinvent our product and that involves the government providing assistance and getting out of the way.”

Purling Brook Falls in Springbrook National Park. Picture: Nigel Hallett.

In particular, Mr Crisafulli believes we could be doing much more to encourage eco-tourism on the Gold Coast.

“The government needs to get out of the way of people who are trying to embark on new things,” he said.

“People should be able to do great walks around our national parks, like Tassie has. I don’t fear people being able to go into a national park and getting an experience which includes staying overnight, provided that the environment is protected and the impact is low density.

“ … we’ve been gun shy in recent years and as a result, ironically, it’s been Tasmania that has cut our grass.”

That need not be the case much longer. Creating iconic hinterland attractions is something that is also believed to be on the Destination Gold Coast radar. With the need to boost tourism like never before, the time for such investment has most likely come.

In the short term though, we need something like the voucher scheme in Tasmania and the NT.

Given this newspaper’s report today that the Gold Coast’s real unemployment rate is soaring towards 20 per cent, and the devastating news of yesterday’s fatal shark attack, it’s crucial every effort is made to help our tourism operators.

Not least because we have sun as well as scenery, we should not find ourselves outsmarted by the chilly Apple Isle.

The voucher scheme is a winning idea. Let’s steal it.

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