Winning the 2018 Commonwealth Games is the beginning of a new golden age for the Gold Coast, Tourism Australia says.
The Gold Coast won the right to host the Games on Saturday morning (Queensland time) at the general assembly of the Commonwealth Games Federation in St Kitts and Nevis, beating the Sri Lankan city Hambantota by 43 votes to 27.
"No doubt, this is just the start of the Gold Coast's renaissance," Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy told AAP.
"This is a very welcome tonic for Queensland, which has endured its fair share of setbacks and shocks in recent times.
"As a great and passionate sporting nation, I have no doubt that the Gold Coast will do Australia proud in hosting these Games, just as Melbourne did in 2006, off the back of Sydney's success in the 2000 Olympics."
Mr McEvoy said Australia had great expertise in hosting big events.
"We not only stage them well, we're also very good at ensuring the best possible economic impact, and capitalising on the global exposure those things generate."
Another great legacy from the Games would be the infrastructure, Mr McEvoy said.
"In tourism terms we have already seen the recent opening of the new Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel, Peppers Broadbeach and the Sea Temple Surfers Paradise Resort, adding more than 500 rooms to the 15,000 already on offer in the city.
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