A win by the Gold Coast to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games will present Queensland's tourism industry with some do or die opportunities, according to a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) expert.
QUT School of Business senior lecturer Dr Steve Pike said while historically the attraction of big events such as the Commonwealth or Olympic Games hasn't often resulted in long-term increases in tourism numbers for host cities or nations, smart planning now could turn around this result for the Gold Coast and Queensland.
Dr Pike said a winning games bid could also be the stimulus the Gold Coast needs to develop the new attractions and visitor experiences that have been lacking on the coast for many years.
"If the Gold Coast bid gets the nod on Saturday morning this should provide the impetus for bigger investors to step into the marketplace and create new attractions and experiences for tourists that will help reposition the Gold Coast more prominently as a top international tourism destination," Dr Pike said.
"Apart from major theme park initiatives, a range of new experiences are needed, for example events or attractions that highlight Indigenous culture as well as more theatres, shows and other evening entertainment."
Dr Pike said if the bid was successful, entrepreneurs would need to step up and take the lead or the Gold Coast would miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime.
"While government has a role to play in investment attraction, the industry itself needs to have vision and leaders need to come to the fore," he said.
"The tourism industry needs to consolidate in order to put its best foot forward and use the Commonwealth Games as an opportunity to stamp out a greater tourism footprint.
"Historically tourism industries world-wide are fractured as regions within nations compete against each other for the tourist dollar. To a large degree this has been why states and nations haven't benefited from the big world games and expo events.
"If Queensland's tourism industry can consolidate and build a suite of inter-related experiences that bring out the best of what Queensland as a whole has to offer, the industry state-wide will benefit.
"That will potentially be the key long-term positive result of the games. If the industry continues to compete not only on a regional but on a business-to-business scale then we'll be looking at opportunity lost."
Dr Pike said industry consolidation was a must whether or not the bid was successful.
He said another key benefit of a games bid win would be the increased sense of pride Gold Coast residents in particular would feel as their region was showcased internationally and an increase in the number of local residents participating in community activities, not least of all sport.
On a political note QUT political scientist Professor Clive Bean said a positive games announcement would be likely to rate no higher than a blip in opinion polls by the time the state election was held next year.
"People are more likely to attribute a bid win to having good facilities than to give the government electoral kudos," he said.
"It will be the government of the day come 2018 that stands to benefit from the event because of the greater sense of economic well-being it will most likely help to create."
"The extent of that benefit will depend upon what's happening in the economy at that time."
Dr Steve Pike is available for comment today and tomorrow. Professor Clive Bean is available on these days as well as Saturday on 0414 492 149.
Media contact: Rose Trapnell, QUT media officer, 07 3138 2999 or rose.trapnell@qut.edu.au
