Experience Gold Coast

Dreamworld’s $55m Rivertown precinct has opened just in time for Christmas! 🎄 Minister for Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation Andrew Powell, MP Mark Boothman, Acting Mayor Donna Gates and Coast Entertainment Chair Gary Weiss were on hand to celebrate with Dreamworld CEO Greg Yong. The official unveiling had an extra special guest with Dreamword’s longest serving employee Michelle Doyle, who has worked with the company for 40 years, cut the vine. ✂️ The new precinct featuring two new rides including The Jungle Rush roller coaster and a new eatery, Jane’s Rivertown restaurant is a welcome Christmas present to the Gold Coast’s tourism economy just in time for the peak holiday season. 🎁 Dreamworld and SkyPoint

Follow the yellow brick road to Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast with the world-first THE WIZARD OF OZ™ precinct featuring two new family-friendly rides officially opening today. Visitors can embark on a wicked adventure aboard the suspended family coaster, The Flight of The Wicked Witch and experience the ultimate twists and turns on the family boomerang racer, Kansas Twister. This latest attraction comes as the city prepares for a busy summer, with hotel occupancy for the Christmas and New Year period already above that of previous years. New products and experiences and events continue to attract more people to the Gold Coast, leading to a positive knock-on economic effect. John Warn GAICD FIML FCSIA Village Roadshow Theme Parks

Happy Holidays from the Experience Gold Coast team! As we look back on 2024, we celebrate not only a strong $7.7 billion contribution to the Gold Coast economy but also the growing appeal of our city as a destination of choice. From the 12.4 million visitors who chose the Gold Coast to record visitation from regional NSW and New Zealand, the year has proven that our city's mix of leisure, business, and education experiences continue to captivate people from around the world. Here’s to building even greater momentum in 2025! We wish you all a safe and festive holiday season. #experiencegoldcoast #2024

In collaboration with Business Events Australia, Singapore Airlines and MakeMyTrip, Experience Gold Coast recently hosted seven corporate and incentive buyers, showcasing the city's breadth of destination experiences for their incentive groups. The buyers' experienced luxury accommodation at JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa, water-based activities including Sailing In Paradise and Arro Jet, immersed in local culture with a guided tour of Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre and met our wildlife ambassadors at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. The itinerary also included local food and beverage offering at Miami Marketta, The Tropic and Village Roadshow Theme Parks. #goldcoast #businessevents

📢 NEWS ALERT: TOURISTS POUR $7.7 BILLION INTO THE GOLD COAST ECONOMY  The Gold Coast is celebrating a win for the economy with the latest National and International Visitor Survey results from Tourism Research Australia showing visitor spending is up for the year ending September 2024. The report reveals visitors are spending more, generating $7.7 billion for the Gold Coast economy, an increase of 29% from 2019. Visitor numbers were also up from last quarter with 12.4 million visiting the city compared to 12.3 million. Other key highlights include: 💠 Regional NSW overnight visitors set a new record with 649,000 visits, up from 622,000 from last quarter. 💠 China visitation increased from 56,000 from 48,000, a 17% increase from last quarter. 💠 New Zealand visitors set a new record with 221,000 visitors, a 3% increase from last quarter. 💠 Domestic overnight business travellers set a new record with 595,000 visitors: a 10% increase from last quarter. 💠 7.6 million day trips, this is a 25% increase compared to 2019. 💠 Domestic overnight expenditure reached $5.4 billion; this is a 46%. increase compared to 2019.

Tourism Australia’s Discover Aboriginal Experiences portfolio continues to expand, with the addition of Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre on the Gold Coast. Located at the foot of Burleigh Headland, Jellurgal offers a deep connection to the Aboriginal heritage of the region, sharing the traditions and stories of the Yugambeh people. Visitors can engage in immersive experiences that promote cultural awareness and understanding. According to Tourism Research Australia’s latest report, demand for Indigenous tourism is growing, with international visitors increasingly participating in Aboriginal-guided tours in 2024. #experiencegoldcoast #tourism

Last week, over 250 industry professionals gathered at Miami Marketta for our 2024 Year End Celebration, marking the perfect start to the festive season! It was an unforgettable night filled with lively cheer, delicious food, and live music that had everyone on their feet. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this memorable celebration and generously donated to this year's charity partner, Walk With Us. #experiencegoldcoast #networking #celebrate

 THE KING RETURNS TO COOLY ROCKS ON!   The Gold Coast’s ultimate celebration of the music, motors and lifestyle of yesteryear is back! Cooly Rocks On is gearing up for the 2025 program with the announcement today of an all-star lineup of Elvis Tribute Artists and the release of the highly anticipated VIP Legends Passes.   The festival’s annual Elvis Precinct will be all shook up come June, when some of the world’s best Elvis Tribute Artists take to the stage including the highly acclaimed Jay Dupuis and Ted Torres Martin from the USA, the 2024 Cooly Rocks On Elvis Tribute Artist Contest winner Toki from Japan, New Zealand’s Che Orton, and Australia’s own Jack Gatto.   In hot demand and back for a fifth year is the not to be missed exclusive VIP Legends Passes which will be available via Pre Sale at 9am tomorrow followed by General Sale at 9am AEST on Thursday 12 December. The much-loved nostalgia festival is proudly produced by Experience Gold Coast and attracts more than 155,000 people to the iconic Coolangatta beachfront over days from 4-8 June 2025.    For more information visit: coolyrockson.com 

Experience Gold Coast recently led a delegation of nine Gold Coast school Principals and executives on a transformative Professional Development Program in Taipei. Supported by the Taipei City Government's Department of Education, the visit celebrated the enduring sister city relationship between the City of Gold Coast and Taipei City, established in 1982. The program was a resounding success, providing our delegation with invaluable insights into Taipei's ambitious 2030 Bilingual Nation Policy. Through interactive workshops, visits to schools and universities, alumni networking, and in-depth discussions, delegates explored how bilingual education is seamlessly integrated into curricula and daily life with innovative teaching methods. #experiencegoldcoast #goldcoast #taipei #education #sistercity

In an exciting first we’ve recently launched the Experience Gold Coast (EGC) Arts Fund in a bid to showcase the breadth of the Gold Coast’s artists and support their creative capacity.   The new $1.5 million arts fund is designed to support and raise the profile of local talent by funding a broad range of art forms.   Grants of up to $200,000 will be available, where the presentation of local content can be aligned to EGC signature festivals and events.    Experience Gold Coast’s Head of Arts and Culture Yarmila Alfonzetti said the organisation was honoured to be in a position to make a significant annual contribution to the arts and culture ecology of the Gold Coast.   “A thriving society needs arts and culture practitioners and activities of all types and levels; a melting pot of vibrant and distinctive cultural experiences that inspire locals and visitors alike will ensure that the Gold Coast continues its impressive trajectory to maturity,” Ms Alfonzetti said.   “HOTA, Home of the Arts, is in the privileged position of being able to support dozens of Gold Coast artists and creative personnel each year, and the opportunity for HOTA to present even more artists and their work at this wonderful precinct is one which I welcome whole heartedly.”     The EGC Arts Fund is made possible thanks to the support of the City of Gold Coast.    For more information visit: https://lnkd.in/ggbjwiJk