Digital growth program for the accommodation industry

City of Gold Coast recognises that the accommodation sector is an important driver for the Gold Coast’s tourism industry and visitor economy.

The Gold Coast Accommodation Investment Outlook Study highlighted that:

81% of respondents are likely to invest in Digital Marketing and Website Enhancements in the next two years
90% of four- and five-star properties are likely to see investment in Digital Marketing in the next two years
and 82% of serviced apartments are likely to see investment in Digital Marketing in the next two years.

The City’s COVID-19 support package for community and business aims to build resilience and support this valuable sector in its recovery efforts.

Opportunity

We are delivering a fully subsidised opportunity for local tourism accommodation businesses to receive:

digital health checks
six keynote sessions. Topics include web and Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO), email marketing, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), social media and digital advertising
six hours of 1:1 mentoring on-site, access to online learning modules and key takeaways.

This is a customised training and development program delivered by Talk Agency, one of Australia's leading digital marketing agencies.

Find out more in the following video and on the Talk Agency website.

Expand digital marketing capabilities through building digital infrastructure and/or delivering digital projects to grow businesses
Customised content suitable for beginners through to intermediate
Retain and grow quality jobs within the accommodation industry
Enhance the current skill set, particularly in a time where the industry is experiencing a skills shortage
Build networks with other tourism businesses

To be eligible, applicants must:

be the business owner or employee of a Gold Coast hotel, motel, holiday park or serviced apartments
be responsible for implementing digital marketing strategies and activities of the proposed program
commit to the time requirements of the program
commit to delivering the proposed outcomes and recommended targets of the program
commit to providing the agency with access to your analytics account. This will be used to provide anonymised, aggregated data that will indicate the successful delivery of the program and results for your business. No data will be attributable back to your individual business.

Round 1: November 2021 to April 2022 (closed)

Round 2: July 2022 to October 2022 (closed)

Round 3: January 2023 to April 2023 (closed)

Round 4: May 2023 to August 2023 (closed)

Round 5: September 2023 to November 2023 – Apply now

Applications close 29 August 2023

All sessions will be held in person at a central Gold Coast location. Online recordings will be available after each session.

To express your interest in applying for future rounds, or for more information, please contact: businessgc@goldcoast.qld.gov.au

A live dashboard of anonymised and aggregated data, indicating the successful delivery of the program and results for the region, is now available: Visit City of Gold Coast Digital Growth Program (Live Dashboard).

No data is attributable back to any individual businesses.