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

In general, 15 percent of Noosa respondents indicated that they had made friends with
tourists and stayed in contact with them for the duration of the tourists’ stay only (9
percent) or over the longer term (6 percent). This was higher than the statistics for the
Sunshine Coast as a whole in 2017 (6 percent and 3 percent respectively).

Figure 34: Residents’ level of contact with Tourists, by age group

45%
                                                                                                       Up to 30 yrs (n=59)
40%                                                                                                    30-64 yrs (n=121)

35%                                                                                                    65+ yrs (n=120)

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

 5%

 0%
      I never come into         I see tourists    I often interact      I often meet  I have made friends I have made friends
         contact with        around but dont      with tourists as    tourists around with tourists during with tourists and
      tourists as far as I    usually speak to     part of my job    town and talk to    their stay in my    kept in contact
          am aware           them unless they                               them            local area    after they have left
                              ask for direction
                                     etc.




Extent of Agreement with Positive statements regarding Tourism

A number of positive statements were posed to respondents, and the respondents were
asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed with them. Over 90 percent of
respondents agreed that tourism is positive because it introduces people from different
backgrounds and cultures, that festivals and events can assist in non-peak periods and raise
awareness of the region generally, and that tourists stimulate the economy. These statistics
were similar to the TEQ’s 2017 results for the Sunshine Coast as a whole.

Between 80 and 86 percent of respondents also agreed that tourism helps showcase the
region, instils pride in the local and broader community and increases community
infrastructure and services. Outcomes for the Sunshine Coast in these matters varied from
87 percent (instilling pride regionally) to 71 percent (instilling pride locally).

In Noosa, only 47 percent of respondents indicated that the benefits of tourism are spread
evenly throughout the community. This was similar to the Sunshine Coast’s statistic of 46
percent of respondents.

Respondents were also asked to indicate the extent of impact each of these elements had
on their lives, and the extent to which they felt Noosa as a whole was impacted. On
average, the overall responses to the extent of impact was all in the positive, with
respondents feeling that the overall community benefited more than they did personally.
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