Has there ever been a bigger week for tourism industry events on the Sunshine Coast? The answer is a resounding no!
Next week more than 900 leading tourism industry professionals from across the state, including Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Tourism Minister Kate Jones, will descend on the Sunshine Coast for the Queensland Tourism Awards – the industry’s night of nights.
The sold-out gala ceremony will be held at the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre (SCCC) next Friday night, providing an incredible opportunity for us to showcase to the rest of Queensland what sets the Sunshine Coast apart as a destination.
The Queensland Tourism Awards is one of three key events being held in region next week, with Queensland Tourism Industry Council’s Destination IQ and the annual DestinationQ Forum also taking place at the SCCC.
Together these events represent the largest tourism gathering in Queensland and hosting them on the Sunshine Coast is a massive coup for the region as it not only showcases our capability to host large-scale business events, but invites the state’s tourism industry to discover our destination’s unique tourism offerings.
Destination IQ, formerly the QTIC Indigenous Tourism and Employment Forum, will on Wednesday bring together business leaders, employers, government representatives, tourism organisations, native title holders and community organisations to discuss important issues, opportunities and strategies for supporting First Nations tourism and employment across the state.
This will be followed by Destination Q on Thursday and Friday, that will this year focus on the theme ‘Tourism Beyond 2020 – Innovating for the Future’ inviting industry to connect, collaborate and work together to strengthen Queensland’s tourism industry.
But it doesn’t end there.
Next week will also see the inaugural Art of Attraction tourism summit staged for the first time on the Sunshine Coast. The event will include the Grey Nomad and Australian Street Art Awards, and provides an incredible opportunity to connect with tourism leaders at the forefront of using street art as a strong economic driver and encouraging visitation from one of the fastest growing visitor segments – over 50s.
The week will conclude with a celebration of Sunshine Coast businesses at the sold-out Sunshine Coast Business Awards on Saturday night, the same night Australia Zoo will celebrate the life and legacy of the original Wildlife Warrior – Steve Irwin – at their Steve Irwin Gala Dinner in Brisbane.
To top it off, one of Asia’s newest luxury liners – the Explorer Dream – is scheduled to dock at Mooloolaba Harbour next week, providing a further boost for visitation.
What a way to kick-start November.
