The Gold Coast’s crucial family holiday market could be destroyed by emotive police and media claims about a looming bikie gang war, according to prominent Gold Coast tourism operator Garry McKenzie.
He said the crucial New Year holiday period when the city was filled with visitors was the worst possible time for scare claims about gang wars. He urged those pushing gang war fears to consider the impact on the district’s key tourism source- families.
Mr McKenzie, Director of Queensland visitor accommodation company Dreamtime Resorts, which has nine resorts on the Gold Coast, said the Coast’s tourism industry was vulnerable to things as simple as a bad weather forecast.
“When the police are saying there’s a bikie turf war coming, for reasons we suspect are driven by undisclosed agendas to give them more powers, then the people pushing these claims should consider the bigger picture.
“This January the Gold Coast bookings are okay but not spectacular. We have had better and worse Januaries, but when something as simple as a bad weather forecast can kill bookings for the week ahead, stories about bikies warring in the streets will certainly kill off bookings from mum, dad and the kids – our key January market,” he said.
Mr McKenzie said police and media needed to realise the potential damage to the Coast’s tourism market and they had a responsibility not to “beat up” the issue for their own ends.
“The fact is the Gold Coast is a major city, not some sleepy seaside holiday town. Of course there is crime here just as there is in any city and we know there are gangs here, just as there are in any major city. But is it worse than other cities?
“What we desperately need here is some balance and objectivity in the discussion. None of this hysteria helps the Gold Coast’s image and actually undermines our image as we begin preparations to host the Commonwealth Games.
“My biggest fear is if the crime image is over-emphasised, it will deter our mum, dad and the kids core bread and butter market from holidaying here, and the bad image of the Coast could also cost us visitors from the important New Zealand market too.”
Mr McKenzie said City Council, State Government and tourism body officials should take an urgent initiative in calming visitor nerves.
“Nobody wants to holiday in a war zone and that’s the image the Gold Coast is getting with all this ‘crime and bikie wars’ talk.
“As well as giving the police the resources they need to do their job we need a calmer approach to reassure visitors of their safety and prevent a meltdown in tourism here,” Mr McKenzie said.
