Gold Coast Analysis

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GOLD COAST ANALYSIS

3018HSL – DESTINATION MANAGEMENT

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Part B: Assessment of Tourism Markets – Gold Coast

In this part the tourism market of the Gold Coast will be analyzed and explained. Then the key product and themes of the site will be identified and explained.

Assessment of the tourist market of the destination is a vital part of the situational analysis. The market of the destination must be examined and studied in order to promote the best tourism products and provide the best tourist experience. According to Tourism Research Australia (2013) the Gold Coast tourism market is an extensive market with 12 million visitors traveling to the Coast every year. The visitor profile of the Coast indicated that most tourists are domestic visitors with 83% of visitors, and the remaining 17% from overseas. This indicates that the market would consist of regular travelers, traveling for regular holidays or to visit family or friends. The report also states that the main reason why visitors attend the Coast is to attend a special event, exhibition or festival that is being held. So the events showcased are the main attractions at the site. The three most popular activities at the Gold Coast according to data are going to the beach with 74% of visitors, eating out at restaurants or cafés with 71% of visitors and going shopping with 67% of visitors participating. Which indicates that majority of tourists enjoy the recreational facilities the Coast provides. The most popular attractions are the Beaches with 47% of people visiting Surfers Paradise Beach, 35% visiting Pacific Fair and 26% visiting Burleigh Beach (Tourism Research Australia, 2013). This suggests that the beaches attract most visitors to the destination and are the main purpose of travel. Economic trends in tourist behaviour has also been gathered. Griffith Institute of Tourism (2015) research findings suggest that international visitors traveling rate to the Coast has increased by 7% as of December 2014, mainly due to holiday and leisure motivations. Expenditure of international visitors has also increased, with a growth of 11%. As well as hotel revenue increasing by 9%. These trends indicate that the holiday time increases the number of visitors’ as well as increases expenditure therefore ultimately increasing profit the tourism sector makes (Becken, Mclennan, & Wardle, 2015).  

The main products and themes that attract tourists to the Coast are also important to examine in this analysis as they are a vital part of analyzing and understanding the market. In order for the destination to attract tourist these products and themes must be fully utilized and successfully promoted. The main tourist product at the Gold Coast is Surfers Paradise Beach which is one it’s most popular attractions. According to the findings included in the Destination Tourism Management Plan the site attracts over 20,000 overnight visitors every day and is known for its wide range of events showcased which can attract up to 50,000 visitors. These events showcased are usually held on weekends or holidays which is when the site is most popular and are held regularly (Destination Tourism Management Plan). Tourism and Events Queensland website Hero Experiences (2015) states that the main theme of the Gold Coast is the hero experience it provides and it’s famous for fun image. The hero experience is the unique coast experience that makes the Gold Coast different from other destinations. The main theme being the beaches. This is because they are the main attractions and reasons why tourists visit, therefore they are promoted the most (Hero Experiences, 2015). The most popular product of the destination is Surfers Paradise as tourist travel for the hero experience which largely includes the beaches and its activities (Hero Experiences, 2015).