World Tourism Day: Governments need to cut green tape to give industry a boost, writes Ann Wason Moore

It’s World Tourism Day and our city still needs us. Here’s why governments need to cut the bureaucracy and the bull to keep the tourism lifeblood of the city pumping

Council divers working on the Wonder Reef tourist attraction on the Gold Coast. Picture: Gold Coast City Council

What a difference a year makes.

And if you need proof, just look at our city’s celebrations today for World Tourism Day.

The keyword here being ‘celebration’ … because on September 27, 2021 this day of commemoration was more about commiseration.

It’s hard to recall just how dark those days were: half the country was locked down, our city lived under the ever-present threat of snap closures, our state border was sealed off and international travel was nothing but a distant memory.

All that and Omicron was still to come.

Former Gold Coast tourism boss Paul Donovan was faced with an industry nightmare when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Picture: Richard Gosling

But for our battered tourism industry, it could hardly get any worse.

Exactly one year ago, Destination Gold Coast’s then-chairman Paul Donovan couldn’t even pretend to paint a bright picture with the city staring at a $1 billion drop in visitor spending over the September quarter compared to the same period in 2019.

To mark the day, DGC hosted a walk along the Surfers Paradise foreshore with industry operators as a sign of both solidarity and support … an opportunity to check in with each other and ensure mutual survival, not just of their businesses but of themselves.

Fast-forward 365 days and we’re walking on sunshine.

This morning, operators will reunite … this time for a relaxing yoga session to mark World Tourism Day at JW Marriott.

After the worst years ever for our tourism industry, It’s literally time to exhale.

At long last we are officially open to the world, with domestic capacity for local operators now almost fully restored and international markets gradually returning.

Gold Coast operators have worked tirelessly over Covid to regenerate and the results are plain to see: the opening of the new $500m Gold Coast Airport expansion, the new Wonder Reef dive site, our 5-star hotel The Langham and new attractions at our theme parks.

The Langham Gold Coast general manager John O'Shea. Picture: Glenn Hampson

But still, this is no time to relax as our tourism industry continues to face strong headwinds.

Flight cancellations are a nightmare while prices continue to soar, the number of Aussies leaving the country to travel far outweighs the number of international visitors coming in, and then there are the staff shortages crippling our hotels and restaurants.

The pandemic changed the landscape of the tourism industry and we’ll never completely return to normal, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Because while change is hard, it’s also the best way to create opportunity.

One of the biggest growth prospects on the Gold Coast is eco-tourism, it’s the key to connecting our beaches to the valleys and hinterland. It’s not just what tourists want, but locals too.

Sustainability and accessibility are essential – whatever we create commercially cannot destroy the natural assets we want to promote – but there is a fine line between protection and over-protection.

And right now, our eco-opportunities are being strangled by ‘green tape’.

It’s time our governments cut the bureaucracy and the bull to work together to keep the tourism lifeblood of the city pumping.

It’s time to stop scoring political points over proposed eco-projects like the Springbrook Cableway. It’s been decades now, so let’s get real about whether or not it will work and either get started or get back to the drawing board.

The cableway being investigated by Gold Coast City Council would likely be similar to the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway at Cairns.

Then there’s the ‘C’ word … commercialisation of our beaches.

Look, no one wants to see our entire coastline become one big strip for touting ice creams and beer, but surely we can spare a few hundred of our 40,000 metres of beach?

It happens everywhere around the world and tourists want it. Personally, this local wants it too. Whether you like it or not, the beach bar trial at Kurrawa was a major success.

Covid forced all of us, whether in the tourism industry or not, to re-examine our position and pivot for survival, helping create new industries for this city.

But the truth is that tourism always was and always will be our bedrock business.

Now is the time to reinforce and strengthen these foundations to ensure that whatever tomorrow – or September 27, 2023 – may bring, we are ready to seize the day.