2020-01-13 GC Agenda - Item 10 - Attachment 1 - Report on the Sustainable Tourism Stakeholder Reference Group

For residents of Noosa, there are some obvious advantages to living in a successful tourist centre. These
include increased choice of places to eat, drink and shop, plus opportunities to enjoy events ranging from
cultural to sporting. However, there are also drawbacks, which in brief include: alienation from certain
localities (particularly at peak times); increased traffic congestion, again especially at peak holiday times;
road closures associated with events; impacts on the natural environment; and the cost of maintaining
public infrastructure which is utilised by tourists.
Residents responding to a survey were asked to select a statement that best reflected their thoughts
regarding tourism in Noosa. Of the 300 responding, nearly 80 percent of all respondents indicated that they
either strongly approved (36 percent) or slightly approve (43 percent) of tourism because it’s good for the
community and economy. People aged between 30-64 were more likely to strongly approve, and people
aged up to 30 or over 65 were more likely to slightly approve. Only 4 percent of total respondents strongly
disapproved of tourism in Noosa. Interestingly, the Sunshine Coast and Queensland areas evidenced similar
statistics to these.
The bar graph below shows the response by residents to preferred tourism development growth. It is
perhaps worth noting that, although overall attitudes to tourism are generally positive, a significant
number do not want to see any more tourism growth.




Responses:
Tourism Noosa has begun to move away from being a Destination Marketing Organisation and more
towards becoming a Destination Management Organisation. This reflects not only TN’s focus on value-over-
volume, but also a conscious awareness that the tourism sector needs to work in concert with the local
community and be cognizant of resident concerns. The carbon footprint of tourism is also front of mind, as
is the increasing desire of tourists to travel more sustainably. This shift in focus by TN also demonstrates
that TN is taking their role as part custodians of the Noosa environment seriously. More on this later.



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