Karen Bolinger, Destination Gold Coast - Where to now for our $6 billion tourism industry? Strategies for a post-pandemic world
Episode description (41 mins)
In this deep dive into the Gold Coast visitor economy, tourism supremo Karen Bolinger, acting CEO of Destination Gold Coast (DGC), discusses where we sit post-pandemic, where we need to be headed, and the guiderails and strategies that DGC is laying out to help the Gold Coast define 'who we are and what we stand for'. Expectations have changed... with consumer demand for sustainability, accessibility and immersive, Instagram-worthy experiences now reshaping the industry. And only nine years out from the 2032 Olympics, what's the groundwork we need to do now to ensure the Gold Coast extracts maximum benefit from the influx of global visitors? (We'll need an additional 11,000 hotel rooms just for starters.) This session is also a great listen for anyone considering a career in the 'structured chaos' of the tourism industry.
About Karen
Karen Bolinger, the acting CEO of Destination Gold Coast, is a dynamic and experienced strategist and executive leader in the international events, travel, tourism, and hospitality services sector. Karen has made a significant contribution to the visitor economies of several Australian and international cities and has a unique track record of bringing commercial industry, government policy makers and service organisations together to collaborate and deliver outstanding public value outcomes. She is passionate about the tourism sector becoming a force for economic and social change, re-imagining the way tourism can create more cohesive and inclusive communities, and more vibrant and resilient economies, locally and internationally.
