These forums are not conferences. They are industry engagement exercises where new ideas are discussed, priorities identified and jointly resolved, and all partners are made accountable for delivery. The preparation and widespread consultation with industry in the lead-up to the forums is as important as the two-day gathering itself. The recent publication of the first State of the Industry Report has only served to consolidate Queensland’s strong partnership and accountable approach. As part of its evidence based approach, the Queensland Government commissioned four research reports to inform discussions at this year's forum: Voice of the consumer – Social media research to identify what consumers say about a quality tourism product. Voice of the operator – Regional focus groups to discover what operators say about growing or changing tourism products. Industry lifecycle – Analysis of investment patterns to plot Queensland tourism products on a lifecycle spectrum. Destination best practice – Review of international best practice in growing destinations. The DestinationQ Post Forum Working Group (comprised of senior government and industry leaders) has further strengthened the government and industry partnership by enabling industry to engage with key government agencies on priority actions. Queensland’s new Destination Success: the 20-year plan for Queensland Tourism consolidated the government and industry partnership through providing a long-term shared vision between the government and the tourism industry. The plan has industry and government support and sets a clear vision for Queensland’s tourism future. Whole of government approach The foundations of Queensland’s whole of government approach are: Tourism Cabinet Committee (TCC) (including two joint meetings annually with the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) Board) – The TCC specifically focuses on achieving cross-agency coordination and delivering tourism growth. To date, TCC has proven an invaluable addition to policy and process outcomes. It has helped progress a range of initiatives at local, state and federal levels more quickly and efficiently, illustrating the benefits of a whole of government approach. Tourism Inter-departmental Committee (TIDC) – The TIDC meets regularly to inform and review cross agency issues and drive delivery of the 20-year plan for Queensland Tourism. DTESB “One stop shop for industry” – For tourism issues, the Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games (DTESB) plays the lead role in coordinating action across government. DTESB frequently works with other government agencies to investigate industry concerns and to drive red tape reduction. DTESB has also been responsible for setting out a clear agenda for TCC, with strong accountability and detailed input to commitments from a tourism perspective.
support for major events bidding is importantly underpinned by destination development and marketing, the strength of which can often be a deciding factor in the success of a bid and an event’s capacity to attract interstate and international visitors). Case Study 1: Commonwealth Games The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) is the most significant international sporting event to be held in Australia this decade and the first time an event of this significance has been hosted in an Australian regional city. The event will draw approximately 6,500 athletes and officials for eleven days of competition. Approximately 1.5 million tickets will be available to sporting events as well as free access events such as the marathon and road cycling. Events will also be held in Cairns, Townsville and Brisbane. An arts and culture program will be held to complement the games and to enhance the community and visitor experience. The Queens Baton Relay will visit all 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth ahead of the games, including an extensive relay leg through Australia and Queensland. The Commonwealth Games will provide the Gold Coast with a platform to amplify its international exposure and increase its share of visitor expenditure. The games will have a global television reach of more than 1.5 billion people and approximately 2,000 journalists are expected to cover the event. This extensive broadcast and media coverage will provide significant opportunities to showcase the Gold Coast to a global audience. However, while the Gold Coast has significant natural assets and recreational attractions, more needs to be done to capitalise on the Commonwealth Games and ensure the region is ‘games ready’. The Queensland Government has released a strategy and action plan to guide the realisation of benefits from hosting the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games – Embracing our Games legacy – Queensland’s legacy for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. The legacy strategy established government’s objectives for the event supported by three interconnected themes – our economy, our community and our lifestyle. The Queensland Government’s objectives for the Commonwealth Games are to: demonstrate Queensland’s ability to stage a successful, inspiring and memorable international event. leverage the Commonwealth Games to derive economic benefits and develop local business and workforce capability. maximise long-term community, sport and health benefits from GC2018.