Are you planning for a Queensland holiday with your family or loved ones? Then, you better make sure to visit the Gold Coast, which is one of Queensland’s most famous tourist destinations. If you’re just like me and goes crazy for golden beaches, stunning sunsets, world-class theme parks, and breath-taking natural beauty, you’ll find the Gold Coast a piece of heaven on Earth.

Did you know that Gold Coast is popular not just to Aussies but also to tourists from all around the globe? Well, this is because of several reasons. Tourists, particularly international tourists with cold and miserable winters, find the tropical Australia as the perfect getaway where they can have their tan and have fun in the sun. Aside from that, that Gold Coast is rich in spectacular natural sceneries and offers countless things to do and see.

If you’re visiting the Gold Coast from another country and planning on having a great Queensland holiday, you’ll be happy to know that you’re not alone. In fact, international visitors make up a huge percentage of the tourists that we welcome here each year. These people made Gold Coast their holiday destination not just because of the weather but also because of our world-class beaches and theme parks, Gold Coast’s commitment to heath and safety, incredible nightlife, and our unmatched dining and shopping districts.

Let have a look at the ‘Regional Tourism Profile for Gold Coast 2012/13’ released by Travel Queensland and see just what the International visitor profile for the Gold Coast is;

Top three Market Sources

  1. China – The Gold Coast received 184,000 Chinese visitors last year. These visitors spent a total of 4,181,000 nights in the region with an average stay of 5 days. Chinese visitors make up 36% of the Gold Coast’s overall International visitors and 55% in the total number of tourist nights in the region. The growing number of Chinese visitors not just on the Gold Coast but also throughout Australia is partly because of the bilateral tourism arrangement between China and Australia, which was the first western country to be granted the Approved Destination Status by the Chinese government. Since it was approved in 1999, the number of Chinese visitors in Australia has been steadily increasing at an average of 15per cent per year. In addition, the boost was also because of Air China’s launch of direct flight from Beijing to Australia.
  2. New Zealand comes close with 205,000 visitors who spent a total of 970,000 nights on the Gold Coast. These visitors represent 26% of the total number of Gold Coast visitors and 24% in the total number of tourist nights in the region. Visitors from New Zealand spent an average of 11 days. The biggest reason why Australia receives thousands of tourists from New Zealand is because of close proximity and cheap direct flights.
  3. United Kingdom. Last year, the Gold Coast has received a total of 58,000 visitors from the United Kingdom. Although this number is a bit smaller compared to visitors coming from China and New Zealand, UK tourists made up 7% of the total number of tourists in the region. These visitors spent a total of 638,000 nights here with an average stay of 11 days – just like tourists from New Zealand. The Gold Coast is very popular to tourists from the UK because of our almost-perfect weather. These tourists, who suffer from extreme weather condition particularly during winter, find tropical Gold Coast as the perfect and safe getaway.

Top 3 Travel Party Type

The Gold Coast is very popular to all sorts of tourists as confirmed by these. Every year, we welcome tourists travelling alone, adult couples, family group, business travellers, and those who are visiting friends and family members.

  • Travelling alone – The Gold Coast’s biggest party type are those tourists that travel alone. Last year, we welcomed 281,000 lone travellers who spent a total of 4,181,000 nights here with an average stay of 15 nights. If you’re coming here alone, you’ll be happy to know that you’re not the only one! Also, there are so many things to do on the Gold Coast that it will indubitably give you lifelong memories of a perfect Queensland holiday. Top on the list is sampling great international cuisines in some of Surfers Paradise restaurants. You can also swim and learn the art of surfing. And most importantly, meet other people, both local and foreign and make new friends before you head home.
  • Adult couple – The Gold Coast is definitely one of the most romantic places in all of Australia and last year, we welcomed 205,000 adult couples. If you’re enjoying a Queensland holiday with your significant other, I would recommend coming to the Gold Coast and taking hot air balloon ride just before sunset, exploring wineries, indulge in spa treatment, and most of all, have romantic dinner with the vast ocean or beautiful sunset as your backdrop.
  • Family group – The Gold Coast strives to live to its reputation as one of Queensland perfect destinations for families and last year, there were 138,000 family groups who made the region their holiday destination. Aside from outstanding beaches that are perfect for swimming and some for some serious surfing, there are also amazing theme parks that your family will sure enjoy.

Top 3 Accommodation

The good thing about our fantastic region is that there is an array of Gold Coast accommodation to meet your specific needs and budget, even giving you spending money to enjoy the rest of your Queensland holiday. From luxury hotels, to luxurious apartments, to super-affordable backpacker hostels, you name it – the Gold Coast has it.

The top 3 accommodation last year were the following:

  1. Hotel/resort/motel/motor inn. Last year, there were 442,000 Gold Coast tourists who booked their stay in a hotel, resort, motel or motor in and spent a total of 1,560,000 nights in the region. With these figures, hotels, resorts, motel and/or motor inns are confirmed to be the most preferred type of Gold Coast accommodation as they make up 57% of the total international visits with average stay of 4 nights.
    If you’re like the majority and also want to book a hotel or resort for your accommodation on the Gold Coast, I welcome you to utilise the live accommodation search on our website https://hrsp.com.au/. Secure first class accommodation for your Queensland holiday and pay a second class rate, that’s how we roll at HRSP.com.au!
  2. Home of a friend or relative. People visiting friends or relatives on the Gold Coast are more likely to stay with their loved ones when they visit. Aside from saving on accommodation costs, they also get to spend more time with the people they care about the most. According to official figures, there were 143,000 tourists who took this route and have spent a total of 2,278,000 nights representing a 30% in overall shares of nights of international visitors.
  3. Rented house/apartment/unit/flat. 96,000 visitors chose to stay in a rented house or apartment for their Gold Coast stint of their Queensland holiday. Together, they’ve spent a total of 2,608,00 nights here with an average of 27 nights. I highly recommend these as serviced apartments are typically cheaper compared to hotels rooms. In addition, they are very spacious and luxurious just like the one that we offer here at HRSP.com.au. Our Gold Coast apartments are within some of Surfers Paradise’s best apartment building and can be your holiday accommodation at a fraction of the price offered by the on-site managers. Perform a search to book your stay today!

Top 3 Places Visited

There is no doubt that the Gold Coast has endless list of places to explore. The top three based on the same research are the following:

  1. Surfers Paradise – Being Gold Coast’s tourism and entertainment centre, it is no wonder why Surfers Paradise is ranked number one when it comes to most visited places in the region. Last year, 297,000 were here, spending a total of 1,945,000 nights with 7 nights average stay. If you’re now planning for your next Queensland holiday, make sure that you include Surfers Paradise in your itinerary. I recommend booking your Gold Coast accommodation in Surfers Paradise as it is definitely a haven for tourists. Here, you can find exceptional dining and shopping districts, amazing beaches, some of Australia’s most luxurious accommodation, and best of all, Surfers Paradise is still central to the major theme parks (just 20 minute drive) and other tourist attractions.
  2. Gold Coast Region – This comes second on the list with 243,000 tourists who spent 1,945,000 nights here with an average stay of 7 nights. This outstanding global city offers tourists with great beaches, exceptional food and wine, and upscale shopping and markets.
  3. Mermaid Beach & Broadbeach – The Gold Coast features so many beaches but Mermaid & Broadbeach have always been a crowd favourite. Combine, the suburbs were visited by 70,000 tourists last year who spent a total of 529,000 nights in the regions. Mermaid & Broadbeach are preferred by those people who are looking for some quiet and relaxing time on the beach. Being the complete opposite of Surfers Paradise, it is less crowded and is perfect for family picnics.

Other Noteworthy Findings

When it comes to the purpose of visit, holiday still remains on top of the list with 598,000 visitors followed by visiting friends and relatives (129,000), business travellers (38,000), and education (17,000).

Meanwhile, the three top mode of transportation is air (278,000) and drive (252,000).

The report also show that international visitors who are looking for information in planning for their Queensland holiday used the internet (412,000), friends and relatives (221,000), and travel agent (201).

Make HRSP your accommodation partner for your Queensland Holiday

If you value luxury accommodation but don’t want to spend a fortune on ridiculously high-priced hotels, Gold Coast Holiday Rentals have the best accommodation for you. We offer privately managed apartments from some of the best hotels, apartments and resorts in Surfers Paradise including Chevron Renaissance, Circle on Cavill, and many more that won’t chew up all your holiday funds. Visiting the Gold Coast on your Queensland holiday is now affordable with rates starting at just $125 per night twin share. Want to see actual photos of our apartments? Then, head to https://hrsp.com.au/ for all the details. For real-time booking, please go to our Book Now page. You may also call us at (07) 5539 8553 for assistance and enquiries.

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