GOLD COAST FAMILY RESORT 'CAPITAL'

The Gold Coast boasts five of the nation’s top family holiday resorts, according to national travel magazine Holidays with Kids.

Tourism Minister Margaret Keech said she was not surprised the Gold Coast topped the list of family-friendly destinations with four resorts in the top six, five of the top eight and one highly commended.

Overall Queensland won nine of the top 10 spots, along with three highly commended rankings.

“Not surprisingly the Gold Coast is Queensland’s number one destination for family holidays, closely followed by Brisbane and the SunshineCoast,” said Mrs Keech.

“It is home to some of the world’s best beaches, is Australia’s amusement park capital and has some of the best national parks and hinterland attractions in the state.

“The survey confirms that Queensland is truly Australia’s best family holiday destination.

“It is also recognition of the hard work being undertaken by the Queensland tourism industry in producing world-class tourism products,” Mrs Keech said.

She said families had a strong impact on Queensland’s tourism economy.

“More than 3.7 million - or 22 per cent - of domestic visitors to Queensland travelled as a family group in the year ending September 2006,” Mrs Keech said.

“This means that more than one in five visitors to Queensland travelled with children under 15 years of age.

“Families also spent a more than 20 million visitor nights in Queensland to the year ending September 2006.

“You only have to look at the strong hotel occupancy rates during the current family holiday period to see the impact families have on Queensland’s tourism economy.

“While in Queensland some of the main holiday activities undertaken by holidaying families included dining out, going to the beach, shopping, sight-seeing and visiting amusement and theme parks.

Holidays with Kids Magazine asked readers to vote on their favourite family holiday resorts based on children’s facilities and activities, quality of childcare, crèche and babysitting services, standard of service and staff hospitality, standard of accommodation and comfort, value for money, location and destination as well as overall experience.

The successful Queensland resorts in order of votes were:

1. Paradise Resort, Gold Coast
2. Sea World Resort, Gold Coast
3. Club Med LindemanIsland, Whitsundays
4. Hyatt Regency Coolum, SunshineCoast
5. BreakfreeDiamondBeach Resort, Gold Coast
6. TurtleBeach Resort, Gold Coast
7. Novotel Twin Waters Resort, SunshineCoast
8. CouranCoveIsland Resort, SouthStradbrokeIsland
9. Rydges Capricorn Resort Yeppoon, CapricornCoast

Highly Commended:

·AshmorePalmsHolidayVillage, Gold Coast

·DaydreamIsland Resort, Whitsundays

·MercureResortGreatKeppelIsland, CapricornCoast

Media contacts: Jo Gibbons 3224 2007 or Louise Yates (Tourism Queensland) 3535 5349 / 0419 713 176