After 12 months of detailed planning, Resort Corp has proposed the construction of a world-class, high-tech Convention Centre within its $135 million Santai Airlie Beach resort.
The proposed Santai Airlie Convention Centre is earmarked to become among the most sophisticated meeting venues on the Whitsunday Coast, accommodating delegates for business seminars, conference, functions and weddings. The proposal of the Convention Centre has been welcomed by local political and tourism leaders.
Whitsunday Mayor Cr Mario Demartini applauded the move to boost the region’s conference capabilities. “The national and international conferencing industry represents a huge opportunity for the Whitsundays to grow and diversify its tourism industry. I support moves towards increasing our capacity to host conferences in the region.
“It is also exciting to see so much confidence in mainland tourism, which is an area the Council would like to encourage.
“This development will be one of the biggest for the region. I am excited at the opportunities it will present,” Cr Demartini said.
Whitsunday Tourism marketing director, Ms Michelle Armour has also thrown her support behind the move to boost business tourism.
“The Whitsundays has been limited in its potential to increase the number of events held in the region as there have been no new conference facilities built in recent years. With increased awareness and availability of the facilities on the coast, the region has the opportunity to increase both the number and size of events held locally.
“July to December 2007 saw the greatest increase over the last three years of the number of meetings. They were up by 30 per cent, and delegate days increased by 37 per cent on the year before.
“The events potential of the region is dictated by air access, which has been increasing of recent years, particularly the percentage of people flying to the Whitsundays from New South Wales,” Ms Armour said.
Resort Corp’s Director of Development and General Manager, Mr Simon McGuire said that the Convention Centre would benefit purchasers as well as significantly boost business tourism to the Whitsundays, injecting millions into the local economy.
“Most importantly from our buyers’ point of view, strong conferencing and events business can translate into strong occupancy from year one – making a Santai Airlie Beach apartment purchase a very good investment prospect indeed.
“From the community’s point of view, these brand new, state-of-the-art facilities will also allow the Whitsundays to significantly build on the $26 million generated by business tourism over the last financial year.
“It should genuinely assist the region to further tap into the $2.8 billion generated annually throughout Queensland.
“Airlie Beach is the gateway to the Whitsundays and the “Riviera of the North”, providing the perfect location to develop an international-quality resort that mixes business with leisure.
“It will fill a growing niche in the mainland tourism market to attract more national and international delegates for business seminars, who may then extend their stays for leisure purposes,” he said.
Mr McGuire said that Resort Corp’s extensive research and many discussions with local authorities demonstrated the obvious need Airlie Beach had for a facility of such calibre.
“Tourism Queensland statistics show that the Whitsundays, on average, hosts 250 meetings in the region per year for a total of 60,000 delegate days,” he said.
Along with the proposed Convention Centre, Santai Airlie Beach will comprise one, two and three bedroom apartments in five stories over seven levels; an International Day Spa and Wellness Centre; gourmet restaurants and two internal bars and lagoon pool bar; 25 metre heated lap pool and heated spa, convenience shopping, fully-equipped Gymnasium; Kids Club and Crèche; and a Business Centre with library.
Surrounding the facility will be two hectares of Balinese-inspired tropical gardens with authentic finishes imported from Bali and Java.
Resort Corp will also rehabilitate and embellish Airlie Creek which bounds the northern part of the site.
Resort Corp is currently completing or undertaking a $1.35 billion property portfolio, delivering major tourism infrastructure on the northern NSW and Queensland coastlines.