MCU10/2083 Development Application part 2 - Attachment 4 - Economic Impact and Need Assessment

3.5.2      Visitor expenditure

           Tourism Research Australia data estimate that domestic overnight visitors
           spent approximately 11 million nights in the Sunshine Coast tourism region
           (year ending March 2010), representing about 80% of overnight visitors.
           International visitors spent over 2 million nights in the Sunshine Coast region
           in the year ended March 2010 (20% of overnight visitors) and approximately 5
           million day trips were made to the Sunshine Coast region in the year ended
           March 20101.
           The total estimated expenditure on food and drink, and shopping as at March
           2010 for the Sunshine Coast tourism region is shown in Table 3.5 for domestic
           visitors, international visitors and day visitors. It should be noted that
           visitation and average expenditure per visitor night, especially for international
           visitors, can be volatile over time as the mix of visitors changes.

         Table 3.5: Estimated retail expenditure by domestic, international and day visitors
                    to the Sunshine Coast, March 2010 (2009 $ values)
                                                              Domestic    International          Day
           Total expenditure                                   visitors         visitors     visitors       Total
           Food and drink ($ million)                            484.0             46.2       137.2         667.4
           Shopping ($ million)                                  192.3             18.0       122.2         332.5
           Total retail expenditure ($ million)                  676.3             64.2       259.4         999.9


           Visitor nights/day visitors (million)                  11.0              2.5          5.0               –
           Average retail spend per night/day trip ($)              61               25           52               –


           Annual visitors in catchment                         98,400          24,600      500,000      623,000
           Total retail expenditure ($ million)                    6.0              0.6         26.0         32.6

           Source: Travel by Australians, March 2010, & International Visitors in Australia, March 2010. Tourism
                  Australia; Sunshine Coast Regional Snapshot, Year ended March 2010, Tourism
                  Queensland;Foresight Partners estimates.

           At March 2010, expenditure on these items by visitors to the Sunshine Coast
           was (at 2009 dollar values):
                 •    $676.3 million for domestic visitors ($61 per domestic visitor night);
                 •    $64.2 million for international visitors ($25 per international visitor
                      night); and
                 •    $259.4 million for day visitors ($52 per daytripper).
           The defined catchment has an estimated annual overnight visitor population of
           123,000. The proportion of domestic overnight and international overnight
           visitors to the Sunshine Coast can be used to estimate the number of visitors
           within the catchment. Assuming an 80:20 split, there are 98,400 domestic
           overnight and 24,600 international overnight visitors respectively. Day trip


           1
             Travel by Australians, March 2010; International Visitors in Australia, March 2010,
           Tourism Research Australia.

Noosaville Convenience Centre EIA
10034 Rev 1
19 October 2010                                          24