Inside Asian Gaming
IAG JAPAN AUG 2019 22 COVER STORY raucous week-long party. But it is also one of the fastest growing regions in the country. With an annual growth rate ranging between 1.28% and 2.25% over the past eight years, the Gold Coast’s population is expected to rise by 100,000 between 2018 and 2025 to nearly 750,000, placing it sixth among all Australian cities. Demographers predict that by 2035 the corridor connecting the Gold Coast and Brisbane will boast roughly the same population as Sydney. Those numbers are matched by rising tourism, with a record 12 million domestic tourists in 2018 including 4 million overnight visitors. But it is the international market, numbering just over 1 million last year, that stakeholders have in their sights. UPPING THE ANTE “This Gold Coast opportunity will be a new magnet for millions more annual visitors – in particular international visitors,” says Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones. “A world-class catalytic project will take the Gold Coast and its cherished tourism offering to a whole new level.” China, already the Gold Coast’s largest international market, is top priority. Australia’s number one source market with 1.3 million visitors per year, it is estimated that number will triple by 2027 to 3.9 million of which the Gold Coast wants a bigger slice. However, “the share of this increased tourism to Queensland is not guaranteed,” according to a Queensland government spokesman. “The Chinese demand high quality branded facilities and unique experiences. The Gold Coast must change to meet target market expectations, to protect its market share and to capitalize on this opportunity.” When the second casino concept was first proposed by the former Liberal government back in 2012, the idea was to attract private sector money to deliver a massive AU$7.5 billion development centered around a new cruise ship terminal at an idyllic location known as The Spit, plus hotels, a marina, retail, entertainment, hospitality, public space and recreation facilities. A gaming license was dangled as a potential carrot if the winning
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