Tourism Opportunity Plan - Tourism Queensland

2 Guiding Principles
Skypoint
Q1, Surfers Paradise
2.1 TOP Development Methodology
The methodology undertaken to develop the Gold Coast and
Hinterland TOP in 2008 and subsequently this TOP update in 2012
included the following key steps:
Review of existing background research, reports and literature
with relevance to tourism in the Region;
Consultation with a wide range of stakeholders through oneon-one
interviews, attending council meetings and hosting
interactive stakeholder forums;
Analysis of key tourism product gaps and opportunities for the
Region;
Prioritisation of tourism product opportunities against agreed
criteria; and
Review of proposed projects with key stakeholders to develop
final plan.
Stakeholders consulted throughout the project included
representatives from:
Federal Government
State Government
Local Government
Regional Tourism Organisations
Tourism Associations
Local Tourism Organisations
Tourism operators
2.2 Key Success Factors
For any destination strategy to be effective and sustainable in
the long term, it must have strong foundations. As outlined in
Figure 2, overleaf, there are three main foundations which act as
cornerstones to a successful destination strategy:
Market Demand characteristics (to meet the needs of consumer
markets)
The regions distinctive competence or competitive advantage
The values and aspirations of the local community
These are the broad guiding principles in updating the Gold Coast
TOP and in terms of satisfying these principles consideration has
been given to the following concepts:
Target Market Aligned – does the project meet the needs of
growth target markets for the region?
Destination attributes – does the project capitalise on a
particular destination attribute that would stimulate destination
appeal and visitor interest?
Regional Growth – does the project have the potential to
stimulate growth in the region over the next 10 years?
Value Added Experiences – does the development of new
products complement rather than compete with existing
products?
Stakeholder Support – does the project have a strong level of
interest from local stakeholders and is the project aligned with
the vision for the region and community aspirations?
Sustainability – do the likely net benefits of the project span
across the social, environmental and/or economic outcomes for
the region?
Strategic Alignment – does the project align with Local, State
or Federal Government priorities and is it likely to gain support
from the decision makers?
Based on the above considerations, the identified projects for
this TOP update have been classified into one of the following
categories:
Catalyst Projects – There are the 9 catalyst projects identified
for the Gold Coast and Hinterland region. These are tourism
investment or infrastructure projects of regional significance
and which are expected to act as catalysts to generate a range
of other investment, marketing and product development
opportunities.
Supporting Projects – These region-wide projects are tourism
infrastructure projects which address identified region
wide issues and are expected to act as enablers for further
investment and product development opportunities.
2 Guiding Principles
The overlap of these three fundamental areas serves as the central
pillar of a successful destination strategy.
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