Sunshine Coast's tourism industry focuses on the future

Building on the DestinationQ forum held in August, Sunshine Coast Destination Ltd (SCDL) in collaboration with Tourism and Events Queensland have this week held a forum to develop a Destination Tourism Plan for the region.

The forum brought together key stakeholders from the tourism industry to provide input in defining a direction for Sunshine Coast tourism and events in order to achieve targets set by the State Government to the year 2020.

SCDL Chief Executive Simon Ambrose said the Destination Tourism Plan Forum has been held with the Sunshine Coast tourism industry and other stakeholders to establish a clear direction for the future.

Ambrose explained "the needs and requirements of the broader visitor economy including events, conferences, education, sports and leisure will be considered. The Plan is expected to be completed in early 2014 and will inform future Sunshine Coast tourism initiatives."

Tourism and Events Queensland Director of Sunshine Coast Lynne Banford said it was important for SCDL and key stakeholders to work together with Tourism and Events Queensland to set the future direction for tourism on the Sunshine Coast to 2020.

Banford added for the region to be successful we need a planned approach and the Destination Tourism Plan aims to define key themes and work out the necessary strategies in an effort to improve and grow the Sunshine Coast's tourism economy."

The Plan will identify short and long term actions to ensure tourism remains compelling, competitive and sustainable. The plan will also include priority projects concentrating on the beach, access, events, the hinterland, nature, service and investment.

The Plan is expected to be completed in early 2014.

Destination Tourism Plan Fact Sheet

Why is Queensland Preparing Destination Tourism Plans?

Tourism is recognised as one of the four pillars of the Queensland economy and a significant contributor to employment and the future economic prosperity of the State. The Queensland Government, through the inaugural DestinationQ forum in 2012, acknowledged the fundamental role of the destinations in returning Queensland to its rightful place as Australia's pre-eminent tourism destination. Each destination has its own unique experiences, opportunities and challenges and therefore each needs to set its own clear direction. That is the role of a Destination Tourism Plan (DTP).

Current environment and targets to 2020

Visitors inject $2.6 billion of direct expenditure into the destination's economy which contributes to nearly $4.6 billion of direct and indirect expenditure to the local economy, generating 42,241 jobs.

The Sunshine Coast Destination Tourism Plan will leverage of existing strategic roadmaps, providing the definitive direction for tourism and events in the region towards 2020, highlighting the resources required to create a sustainable and competitive tourism and events destination, and achieve the regions expenditure target of $3.9 billion in direct economic impact.

Objectives of the Destination Tourism Plan

Address the needs of the broader visitor economy in the Sunshine Coast region to 2020.

Designed to complement Sunshine Coast's other major corporate strategies, including the Sunshine Coast's Economic Development Strategy 2013-2033, Gympie's Economic Development Strategy, and the Tourism Destination documents of the regional and local tourism organisations; Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Gympie.

Develop and implement a best practice destination tourism plan to attract visitors to the Sunshine Coast region, distribute economic benefits to the destination and support a sustainable tourism industry.

Outline the value of tourism and events to the wider regional economy in terms of expenditure, jobs and industries supported by tourism and events.

Recognise and build on the unique features of the Sunshine Coast destination and its stake