The City of Gold Coast has created a three-pronged Nature-Based Tourism Program to encourage the development of new products and experiences through support and incentives for operators.
The programme, announced in June 2024, will focus on three areas. It will encourage private investment in new or significantly enhanced low-impact, nature-based tourism experiences; provide grants to support the delivery of nature-based tourism products; and collaborate with the Gold Coast Council to establish additional low-impact nature-based projects.
A statement from the City of Gold Coast announcing the programme stated that products aligned with this programme and objectives include cultural tours led by First Nations people, or experiences like kayaking and eco camping.
Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate noted that the Gold Coast had been losing tourism market share steadily in recent years.
“Data shows we are increasingly losing that share to regions that have capitalised on the demand for nature-based activities – places like New Zealand, the Hunter Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Sunshine Coast,” said Tate in a statement.
“We know that more travellers want to connect with nature so it’s time we got serious about this sector. It’s time we showed the world what we have kept to ourselves for so long – that the green behind the gold is world-class.”
The Gold Coast boasts over 57km of beaches, hinterland ranges, world heritage-listed Gondwana rainforests, and vibrant waterways. The city acknowledges that its native wildlife and natural environment are critical to its environmental sustainability and social and economic future.
Experience Gold Coast director of business events Brooke Campbell told TTGmice that the programme would benefit the city’s business events industry, as interest in nature-based and responsible activities and experiences for corporate programming is on the rise.
“The committee is now at the research stage, and it will lay out guidelines for operators and suppliers looking to offer nature-based activities and experiences. Once these products are established, business events held in the Gold Coast can engage in them,” said Campbell.
For now, event buyers desiring responsible suppliers can consult the Experience Gold Coast Meeting Planners Guide, which identifies local suppliers possessing sustainability and accessibility accreditation.
“We do have planners who say to us that they only want to stay at a hotel with an accessibility accreditation or host their event at a convention centre with a sustainability accreditation,” said Campbell, adding that these are attributes that Gold Coast business events players must nurture to thrive in the coming years.
She pointed to Experience Gold Coast’s accessible tourism initiative, announced at This Is Gold Coast 2023, and said: “We are working towards our goal of being a welcoming and accessible city. Similarly, we also want the Gold Coast to be known as a sustainable city.”
