Queensland is continuing to witness sharp inc
reases in the number of GCC visitors, the strengthening dollar notwithstanding. For the first four months of the year ending April 2012, a total of 16,300 people visited the region from the Middle East, an increase of 28% relative to the same period in 2011.
The month of April alone saw 4,000 visitors, a 38% increase during a month that is not traditionally considered holiday season. Gold Coast in Queensland has always been popular for family holidays because of the wide variety of activities it offers.
The state has also actively striven to target Muslim communities by providing facilities like prayer rooms in malls and theme parks, halal food at leading hotels and Qibla and Kuran in rooms. There is a large resident Muslim community in the state, with several mosques dotted across Gold Coast.
This year, the host is the brand new AU$$700 million five-star Hilton Surfers Paradise, located on the bustling Surfers Paradise beach in Gold Coast. Gold Coast Tourism International Director Gordon Price says: “It’s all about formulating a long term strategy to ensure the Gold Coast maintains the fun factor for all guests, while catering to the specific cultural and religious needs of our visitors.”
While the number of visitors from the Middle East are relatively low, the average length of stay is three weeks and spend per visitor excluding airfare is US$7,025 – almost triple the global average – making the region one of the top 25 focus areas for Tourism Queensland.
Tourism Queensland Marketing Manager Gulf Countries Andrew Oldfield, who has been based in Dubai since 2009 said the Middle East was a priority market for the state’s tourism industry because of its significant potential.
