2020-01-13 GC Agenda - Item 10 - Attachment 2 - The Value of Tourism to the Noosa Community October 2019 FINAL REPORT

Preferred tourism development growth

When asked about their preferred development growth for tourism, half of the 300
respondents indicated that they were happy with tourism growth and would like to see it
continue and/or grow – either as it is (27 percent) or in a different direction, such as
environmentally responsive (23 percent). The same proportions for the Sunshine Coast as a
whole in 2017 were 52 percent and 5 percent. Of the remaining 50 percent, 42 percent
indicated that they were happy with how tourism had grown to date, but did not want to
see an increase. Only 8 percent indicated they would like to see less growth (the same
statistic for the Sunshine Coast as a whole in 2017 from TEQ’s survey was 6 percent).

The highest proportion of people in the Noosa survey that indicated that they would like to
see growth but in a different direction (such as through more environmentally responsive
practices) were people under 30 (44 percent).

Figure 33: Residents’ views regarding preferred tourism development growth, by age group

60%
                                                                                                   Up to 30 yrs (n=59)
                                                                                                   30-64 yrs (n=121)
50%
                                                                                                   65+ yrs (n=120)


40%



30%


20%


10%


 0%
        I am happy with the way      I am happy with the way        I would like to see less     I would like to see more
      tourism is developing in my tourism has developed in my      tourism in my local area    tourism growth in my local
      local area and would like to local area but would not like                                   area but in a different
             see it continue          to see it grow any more                                        direction, such as
                                                                                               environmentally responsive




Level of contact with tourists

Residents were asked about the level of contact they had with tourists and nearly 40 percent
of all respondents (n=300) indicated that while they see tourists, they do not usually interact
with them (unless they are specifically approached by tourists). This is a smaller proportion
than people across the Sunshine Coast, of which TEQ reported that 57 percent indicated
that they generally do not interact with tourists (refer Appendix 6).

Those most likely to interact with tourists in Noosa in a social sense are aged over 65 (26
percent of respondents aged over 65), and those most likely to interact with tourists due to
their employment are aged 30-64 years (26 percent).


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