Australia Tourism Poised to Capitalize on the Commonwealth Games
Photo Credit: Carrara Stadium in Carrara, Australia will be a key venue in the Commonwealth Games in April 2018. Gold Coast Tourism
Skift Take
Tourism on Australia’s Gold Coast is booming ahead of the April Commonwealth Games. The challenge for operators, buoyed by strong demand, is to deliver memorable experiences to justify the high rates — and stimulate demand after the athletes go home.
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Australian tourism officials are expecting the Commonwealth Games April 4-15 to attract more than 100,000 visitors to the Gold Coast tourist strip, injecting more than $1.54 billion (Australian $2 billion) into the local economy.
The anticipated surge comes on the back of renewed interest in the Gold Coast as a holiday destination, with the latest government statistics showing the “glitter strip” setting a record for overnight domestic visits, which have risen 14.3 per cent from last year at this time.
Tourism remains a major cornerstone of the region’s economy, generating more than 17 per cent of the Gold Coast’s gross regional product. But it took a big hit in October 2016, when an accident at a popular Dreamwo
