Tourism Minister Steve Ciobo concerned over low Commonwealth Games tourist numbers
FEDERAL Tourism Minister Steven Ciobo says he is concerned that numbers are down on the Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games and the impact that is having on local businesses.
Confidential
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FEDERAL Tourism Minister Steven Ciobo says he is concerned that numbers are down on the Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games and the impact that is having on local businesses.
The Games have been overshadowed by stories of empty shops, bars and restaurants after organisers suggested locals stay away from the area to make way for expected large number of visitors.
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“Look I am a little bit concerned,” Mr Ciobo told News Corp at Burleigh Heads today.
“The numbers certainly are down on where I think the projections were going to be and I am not deaf to what I hear from a lot of operators who invested in these Commonwealth Games. They put on extra staff and they are not seeing the numbers quite there.”
Mr Ciobo is a cabinet member in the Malcolm Turnbull coalition government, which today suffered a blow with the Prime Minister losing his 30th consecutive Newspoll overnight.
The most senior Federal MP in the area has been vocal in his support of the Gold Coast for many years and a strident supporter of the games and the dividend it would bring to the local economy.
“Look, I am not going to talk down the Commonwealth Games. This has been an extremely positive Comm Games, the volunteers have been extraordinarily warm and welcoming and I want to make sure that the final week or so left of competition is a great one.
Mr Ciobo pointed to Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Queensland Labor government, which was responsible for setting expectations for spending and tourism numbers during the games.
“There are the aspects that we can control in the future and that will be about how we position not only the Gold Coast but Australia in the eyes of international visitors and that is critical to make sure we have got a good flow of international arrivals into Australia for the months and years ahead,” he said.
“Every year for the last three or four years we’ve seen compounding growth and even more importantly in terms of spend because it is not just about getting as many people through the door as possible. It is actually about making sure that we get more spending in Australia from each person that comes because that ultimately is what drives employment in the tourism industry but it is also a key driver of economic growth in Australia as well.”
Of today’s Newspoll results, Mr Ciobo said: “Polls come and go, there is nothing new about that. As far as I am concerned and what ultimately matters and the choice that Australians will have at the forthcoming election is a clear choice between a coalition government that is committed to lower levels of tax, helping to ease the cost of living and doing what we can to create economic growth and jobs, and the Labor Party which has now outlined $250 billion worth of extra taxes that they are going to impose on Australia to pay for a massive spending splurge that they are going to embark on. ”
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