26 February 2026
2025 QANTAS AUSTRALIAN TOURISM AWARDS FINALISTS
We’re pleased to acknowledge two local partners - BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park for Caravan and Holiday Parks and GC Aqua Park for Major Tourist Attractions - have been named finalists in the 2025 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. These awards recognise quality, innovation and consistency across Australia’s tourism industry. Being selected as a finalist is a significant achievement and reflects the strength of tourism experiences offered in our region. We wish both finalists the very best of luck as they represent the region on the national stage.
REGISTRATIONS OPEN FOR ARIVAL 360 BRISBANE
Arival 360 Brisbane is a 3-day, in-person conference for creators and sellers of tours, activities, attractions, and multi-day experiences from across Oceania and APAC. It’s a content and conversation-led format, featuring keynote speakers, workshops, networking and direct access to technology and distribution partners.
Key themes include:
- Technology and connectivity – booking tech, system integration and how to choose the best tech stack
- Distribution and channel management – direct & third-party sales; leveraging OTA partnerships
- Pricing and revenue strategy – addressing real operating conditions; search, discovery, and bookings in the age of AI
- AI and automation
- Digital marketing and direct booking conversion
- Guest experience and how it connects to operations and growth
DO YOU KNOW A TOUR GUIDE WHO BRINGS QUEENSLAND TO LIFE?
Nominations are now open for the Top Tour Guide Award, celebrating the passionate storytellers, local legends and experience-makers who turn great trips into unforgettable memories.
If you know a guide who goes above and beyond to inspire, entertain and connect visitors to place, nominate them today.
JUST DROPPED – GET UP AND GOLD COAST PJS
The Get Up and Gold Coast campaign is all about capturing and sharing iconic Gold Coast moments with the world – and now you can wear these moments too! Featuring illustrations by local artist Asher McShane, these PJs are now available to shop. Soft, breathable and made with 100% cotton, these Gold Coast PJs are your new bedroom essentials. Be quick, this is a limited drop only so if you snooze you loose!
RUN FOR GOLD COAST: TAKING THE GOLD COAST LIFESTYLE TO THE STREETS OF SEOUL
The Gold Coast is on the move in South Korea—quite literally.
As part of the Run for Gold Coast campaign, a Seoul City Bus wrapped in vibrant Gold Coast imagery is now touring the city, capturing attention and inspiring Korean travellers to experience the Gold Coast’s iconic healthy lifestyle. The campaign is delivered through YB TOUR (Yellow Balloon Tour), one of Korea’s key travel trade partners, and forms part of a broader partnership conversion initiative with Tourism and Events Queensland.
Using the Gold Coast Marathon as a powerful hook, the campaign taps into South Korea’s rapidly growing running culture. Marathon and running events in Korea have surged from just 19 events in 2020 to 254 events in 2024, attracting more than one million participants nationwide. This extraordinary growth highlights a strong alignment between Korean consumer interests and the Gold Coast’s positioning as a world-class destination for wellness, outdoor activity, and major sporting events.
The eye-catching bus wrap showcases the Gold Coast’s coastal scenery, active lifestyle, and marathon credentials, reinforcing the destination’s appeal to health-conscious travellers and runners looking to combine travel with fitness experiences. This initiative is one of four conversion campaigns currently operating in South Korea, delivered in collaboration with selected trade partners to drive tangible outcomes—from awareness to consideration and booking.
By bringing the Gold Coast to the streets of Seoul, the Run for Gold Coast campaign strengthens destination visibility, deepens trade partnerships, and positions the Gold Coast as a must-visit destination for Korea’s fast-growing wellness and running community.
From Seoul to the starting line on the Gold Coast—let the journey begin!
QTIC INSURANCE ADVOCACY WORKSHOP: SUBMIT YOUR EOI NOW
QTIC members are invited to submit an Expression of Interest to attend a targeted Insurance Advocacy Workshop focused on addressing insurance affordability and availability across Queensland’s tourism and events industry. This member-only session will bring together industry leaders, insurers, brokers and operators to examine the root causes of rising insurance costs and identify practical, achievable reform options. Insights gathered will directly inform QTIC’s advocacy at both state and national levels. If there are specific issues you would like considered, please contact Melanie Anderson at melanie.anderson@qtic.com.au prior to the workshop.
When: Tuesday 10 March, 8:30am – 1:45pm
Where: Room P11, Plaza Level, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
TOURISM BUSINESS CAPABILITY SUBSIDY
QTIC is proud to deliver the 2026 Tourism Business Capability Subsidy, now open and offering up to $2,000 to eligible Queensland tourism and event businesses. Proudly funded by the Queensland Government and Tourism and Events Queensland, the subsidy supports targeted training and accreditation, helping businesses build skills, gain national recognition, and strengthen long term capability. Whether you’re a sole trader or a small to medium-sized business, it’s designed to help you strengthen your business and enhance the experiences you deliver to visitors.
AWARD-WINNING TRAVEL WRITER LAUNCHES MEDIA RELATIONS COURSE FOR TOURISM OPERATORS
Australian travel writer Rob McFarland has launched a dedicated media relations course designed specifically for tourism operators. The comprehensive, self-paced course provides practical, step-by-step guidance on how tourism businesses can successfully promote themselves through earned media.
Key features include:
- Australia’s only media relations course tailored exclusively to tourism operators
- Expert insights from leading travel editors, journalists and content creators
- Real-world case studies from operators who’ve achieved significant commercial returns through media coverage
Covering every stage of the media relations process - from identifying the right outlets to approach through to maximising the return from hosting - the course demystifies the world of media relations.
The course also includes expert feedback from McFarland, who has delivered media relations workshops for tourism boards and public relations professionals for more than a decade. He is an award-winning contributor to The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Sunday Telegraph.
Delivered as a series of downloadable workbooks, the self-paced course can be completed from anywhere with no deadlines.
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Each fortnight, we’ll profile an EGC Partner- giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the businesses driving the Gold Coast visitor economy!
COASTAL BABYSITTERS
How would you describe your business and what you offer to someone new to the Gold Coast?
Coastal Babysitters is a premium childcare partner supporting families, venues and event organisers across the Gold Coast. We provide professional babysitters for holidaying families, weddings and in-home care, but our real specialty is corporate kids clubs and conference childcare. We work alongside event organisers, hotels and venues to create dedicated children’s spaces that allow delegates to fully engage in conferences, gala dinners and leadership events, while their children are safe, entertained and genuinely excited to be there. We help families say yes to the Gold Coast without hesitation.
What sets your business apart within the Gold Coast tourism industry?
We don’t just supervise children, we create experiences that give parents confidence.
Childcare is often the deciding factor for whether a delegate attends an event or extends their stay. When parents know their child is settled, safe and genuinely having fun, they are more present, more engaged and more likely to say yes to the full Gold Coast experience. Our team arrives prepared, in branded uniforms, with structured activity plans and a polished setup that elevates the room. Parents receive proactive communication, photo updates and detailed end-of-shift reports, reinforcing the trust they’ve placed in us. With over 1,500 five-star Google reviews, we are proud to be known for reliability, high standards and a professional approach that tourism partners can confidently align their brand with.
For conferences, hotels and event organisers, we transform childcare from a logistical add-on into a strategic advantage that enhances attendance, inclusivity and overall guest satisfaction.
What impact do you hope your business has on visitors, partners, or the wider industry?
We want the Gold Coast to be known as a destination that genuinely supports modern families. By making events and travel more accessible for parents, we help remove a major barrier to attendance. Families feel relief, confidence and excitement rather than hesitation. For organisers and venues, that means stronger attendance, longer stays and a more inclusive event offering.
Our role is simple. We help create an environment where parents can fully participate, children are having the time of their lives, and the Gold Coast becomes the obvious choice for family-friendly conferences and events.
PARTNER ANNOUNCEMENTS
SUNDAY ROAST AT EMBER - FIRE BABY
Introducing Sunday Roast at Ember. Coming Sunday 1 March. Gather around the table for Ember’s new charcoal-fired Sunday Roast. Each week features a rotating hero roast, showcasing bold, fire-led flavours cooked on our brand-new Josper Rotisserie. Using an ancient spit-roasting technique over open charcoal, rich smoky aromas infuse every bite. Enjoy a shared feast for $40 per person, including seasonal sides, with à la carte also available. Join us from 12–2:45pm for Sunday lunch designed for community. This isn’t just a roast - it’s a fire-driven experience. Book yours in today.
firebaby.com.au
Instagram: @firebabysouthport
10 Welch Street, Southport, QLD
SOUTHPORT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOINS EGC
The Southport Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce our new partnership with EGC, working together for the benefit of our local neighbourhood and the wider Gold Coast community. We believe that real collaboration makes a difference. By combining our resources and networks, we can create a stronger, more positive impact across the region, whether that is through supporting local employment, driving economic growth, opening up educational opportunities, or encouraging businesses to give back to the community. Our board is looking forward to what we can achieve together to help shape the future of our city.
VIEW THE 12 FEB 2026 VISITOR ECONOMY UPDATE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
Experience Gold Coast acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we are situated, the Kombumerri families of the Yugambeh Language Region.
We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, and recognise their continuing connections to the lands, waters and their extended communities throughout Southeast Queensland.