1. Food Tourism and Branding
the Gold Coast
Deborah Che
School of Tourism and Hospitality
Management
Southern Cross University

2. Food Tourism and Branding the Gold
Coast
 Challenges Facing Smaller Ag
Producers and Food Manufacturers
 Challenges Facing Gold Coast
Tourism
 Branding the Gold Coast
 Expanding the Gold Coast Brand:
Linking Food, Wine/Liqueurs and
Tourism

3. Challenges Facing GC Smaller Farms and
Food Manufacturers
 Technology- and Capital-intensive
Production Favor Large-Scale Operations
 Global Competition, GFC, Declining
Commodity Prices, High Australian $
 Concentration in Processing and
Retailing
• Coles & Woolworth’s supermarkets control
80% of Australian market
 Low prices for GC farmers
 Expansion of private labels/home brands, limited
shelf space for GC food manufacturers

5. Prideaux’s Resort Development Spectrum

6. Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle Model
 Evolution of a tourist area over time
• Absolute number of visitors
• Growth rate of visitors
• Type of visitors
• Tourism infrastructure
• Local involvement in tourism industry
• Role of tourism in economy

7. Challenges Facing Gold Coast Tourism
 Level of tourist activity may be
approaching limits of acceptable change
in terms of social and environmental
impacts
 Emergence of newer and more
competitive destinations
 Aging infrastructure
 Range of product offered not kept up
with changes in consumer demand
(Faulkner 2002)
 Global financial crisis, high Australian $

8. Branding the Gold Coast as
“Famous for Fun”
 GC seen as “fun, vibrant, energetic,
outgoing, young at heart”
 Brand attributes: golden surf beaches,
fantastic weather, extensive leisure
activities & entertainment, hinterlands,
theme parks; meet, mix with other
people, water activities; sports; pubs,
clubs; nightlife spots
 “Feel the excitement of Australia’s
Endless Playground”

9. Branding the Gold Coast as
“Famous for Fun”
 Stressing the people aspect of a holiday
– reconnecting, sharing good times for
core domestic market, Social Fun
Seekers
 Stressing achievement and personal
development through connecting with a
place for Active Explorers
 Expanding the brand through food,
wine/liqueurs?

12. Value-added agriculture on Mount Tamborine
Tamborine Mountain Distillery

13. More to the Gold Coast’s
“Famous for Fun”
 Food and drink as secondary to other
interests on the Gold Coast, but can
extend product offerings
 Greater connection of the green with
the gold
• Visiting Hinterland and its producers
• Increased link of producers with Gold
Coast restaurants
 Dealing with challenges of regional food
distribution, connecting supply with demand
as in case of Cancun, Mexico (Torres 2002)