Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) has welcomed the arrival of an estimated 672,000 visitors to the Gold Coast ahead of tonight’s official launch of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. R&CA CEO Juliana Payne said that the large influx of visitors to the Gold Coast region for the Commonwealth Games should result in a significant increase in takings for local café and restaurant businesses over the next fortnight.
“As is the case with all large events, hospitality businesses across the Gold Coast are preparing themselves for what is expected to be a bumper trade over the course of the Games. “Naturally, café and restaurant owners are excited about the prospect of a significant increase in takings, with a total visitor spend of $320 million expected during the Games. “We’d certainly encourage all visitors to this year’s Games to visit as many of the local Gold Coast restaurants and cafés as they can during their stay,” Ms Payne said. Ms Payne also welcomed initiatives from the Queensland Government encouraging local hospitality businesses to trade later into the evening , including an automatic one – hour extension in trading times for restaurants and licensed venues during the Games. “We welcome the Queensland Government’s initiatives designed to assist businesses cater for the increased demand over the Games, including permitting restaurants and licensed venues to open for an extra hour in the evening. “Unquestionably, the commercial opportunities during the Games are huge and we would
expect local café and restaurant businesses to take full advantage of that. “The immense drawing power of major global events like the Commonwealth Games highlights the economic value in hosting major events for businesses both small and large.”
Media Release – Restaurant and Catering Industry Association by Juliana Payne
