Coffs Harbour is perfectly situated to provide ocean front accommodation to reaffirm it’s place as a holiday destination. Picture: MAURO RISCH
When tourists come to the Coffs Coast to enjoy the many and varied attractions and national parks around here – where do they stay?
What about those who come to Coffs Harbour to check out a potential business investment, or to negotiate a deal with one of our local organisations, where do they stay?
The answer, in most cases, is the same: they stay in one of the many motels or resorts which are dotted around the town.
These establishments have more than adequately suited the needs of our city to date, and, for the most part, the booking provides an injection of cash into the local economy.
This is the way it is, and this is the way it has been for many years.
But could the needs of visitors not be better supported on the Coffs Coast?
Not only this, but could the evolving requirements of our community as a whole not be better served? And, if so, what is the solution?
An international hotel provides an answer.
This would be a large, well appointed hotel, with a wide range of facilities spread across its various floors, along with numerous rooms for guests.
It would not be a replacement for the current network of motels and resorts; more an augmentation of what they can provide to visitors and to the community.
Holidaymakers and casual visitors would, by and large, continue to stay in the smaller motels – particularly those who are conscious of budget.
However, travellers in search of a reliable business hub in Coffs Harbour, or those with deeper pockets looking for a five-star experience and the convenience of having an array of services at their fingertips, will be more willing
to spend their money at an international hotel, and enhance the benefit to the local economy.
Four Layers of Impact
Pinnacle Advisory Group senior consultant Alan Suzuki has written about the four layers of impact a new hotel has upon this local economy. These cover;
Direct impact – The direct revenue received from food, room rates, and other services in the hotel, and those around the town which are used by hotel guests.
Fiscal impact– Swell in tax revenues as a result of the hotel’s opening.
Indirect impact – Generation of jobs and revenue for businesses acting as suppliers to the hotel, whether they are supplying goods or services.
Induced impact– Contributions to the local economy made by hotel employees spending their wages in the area.
Suzuki’s model demonstrates the huge opportunity which an international hotel could present to the Coffs Coast.
The opportunity to really capitalise upon the tourist interest in our spectacular piece of paradise, and also to further boost a burgeoning business scene in the area.
This opportunity is within our grasp, and the advantages to a place like Coffs Harbour are potentially enormous. Could an international hotel be on the horizon for our community?
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