Criminal Crackdown Played No Part in Gold Coast’s Record Tourism

The Gold Coast is well on the way to setting a new record for visitor numbers. When the official figures for 2013 are released by Tourism and Events Queensland in March, it is widely expected that the figure will be in the ballpark of 12 million visitors. Tourism officials have denied the suggestion that the recent criminal crackdown by the Queensland government has contributed to the excellent tourism numbers.

Gold Coast Tourism Corporation CEO Martin Winter said that numbers were higher across the board and confirmed that he was hoping for a figure close to 12 million. Winter noted that Gold Coast tourism figures for the summer so far had been spectacular. However, he disputed that any of it was due to the crackdown, and argued that such a claim would be difficult to prove. Instead, he said, the results were probably due to good weather, strong marketing initiatives in Sydney and Melbourne, the lower dollar and low interest rates.

However, staff members tweeting on behalf of the state’s attorney-general, Jarrod Bleijie, suggested that the government’s ‘criminal gang crackdown’ had in fact contributed to the ‘best tourism figures in years’, reported the Brisbane Times.