Media Releases

16 July 2010
Gold Coast Tourism will lead a $136,700 grant project with 15 tourism groups in south east Queensland to better connect visitors with the region's walking trail network, Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor announced today.

Mr Lawlor said the funding was part of the Queensland Tourism Network Grant Scheme, administered by Tourism Queensland, and would be used by Gold Coast Tourism to work with surrounding regional tourism organisations, councils, state government departments and tourism operators to look at opportunities to connect visitors with walking trails across the south east.

"South east Queensland has some of Australia's most varied walking trails, from the national parks of the Gold and Sunshine Coast Hinterlands, the Southern Downs, Toowoomba and the South Burnett, to the islands of Moreton Bay," Mr Lawlor said.

"This project will bring a range of stakeholders together to look at ways they can pool their resources.

"Queensland has some world-class national parks and nature-based experiences and I congratulate these groups on working together to look at how they can collectively encourage more visitors to their regions."

Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter said the grant was an opportunity to increase exposure of the region's more natural assets.

"We have the chance to better promote experiences of the highest quality which are not immediately associated with the region, but are increasingly important to traditional and new tourism sectors," he said.

"By raising awareness of our coastal and hinterland walking trails we aim to boost visitation, visitor nights and the variety of activities undertaken by tourists in our destination."

Mr Lawlor said the Queensland Tourism Network Grant Scheme application process was announced in February this year with funding available to a range of not-for-profit tourism groups including regional and local tourism organisations, local government tourism departments and divisions, and tourism associations that were members of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council.

The grants fell under two categories - funding for projects to enable tourism organisations to streamline their current operations - for example by merging with other tourism bodies; and for organisations to collaborate on new tourism marketing or product development initiatives that aren't already part of their core operations.

Mr Lawlor said the Queensland Tourism Network Grant Scheme would allocate $3 million over the next three years as part of a commitment to help the state's tourism organisations develop a stronger and more cohesive network.

"The aim of the grant scheme was to encourage tourism organisations to think outside their 'business as usual' squares," he said.

"We wanted them to come to us with proposals that would help them build a stronger and more efficient tourism network in Queensland," he said.

"The calibre of grant submissions was extremely high and I congratulate Gold Coast Tourism and its partners on the success of their application."

The grants are a result of the 2008 State Government review of Queensland's tourism network which resulted in a series of reforms which included encouraging tourism organisations to collaborate in order to create a more efficient and streamlined industry.

Minister Lawlor announced the grant at the launch of a new tourist brochure designed to assist visitors to navigate and explore the Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk.

"The Great Walk brochure promotes a range of experiences and tourism operators along the 54km adventure walk which links Lamington and Springbrook plateaus via the scenic Numinbah Valley," he said.

"The brochure is an initiative of Tourism Queensland with the support of the Department of Environment and Resource Management to help visitors explore and navigate their way around the glorious Gold Coast Hinterland," Mr Lawlor said.

"The guide breaks the 54km Great Walk into three sections, with camping areas, guest houses and B&Bs highlighted for visitors and is available in visitor information centres across South East Queensland."

Mr Lawlor said the Gold Coast Great Walk was the result of a $16.5 million and 10 year Queensland Government initiative to create a world-class system of walking tracks throughout Queensland's protected areas, including four of our five magnificent World Heritage Areas.

"The Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk was one of the first walks to be opened as part of the first $10 million funding round," he said.

Gold Coast MPs welcomed the announcements saying the funding and brochure would enhance the tourism appeal of the area.

Member for Burleigh Christine Smith said: "Bushwalking is such a great activity, I have no doubt the funding and brochure will entice more visitors to make the trek up to our regional hinterland."

Member for Broadwater Peta-Kaye Croft said: "We have nothing to lose and everything to gain by promoting our great walks on the Gold Coast and today's announcement can only help the region become more appealing to tourists."

Member for Albert Margaret Keech said: Bushwalking is a particularly popular experience to do at this time of year on the Gold Coast and its great there will be a greater focus on the walks which are suited to almost anyone."

The Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk brochure is available for download via www.queenslandholidays.com.au/greatwalks as well as through visitor information centres located in the South East Queensland region.