A tourist destination? Logan? Really?
Surrounding councils have made a strong fist of attracting tourists, including the Scenic Rim for its food trails, Ipswich for soft adventure, Redlands for its access to Moreton Bay.
Brisbane and the Gold Coast set a high bar.
In Logan, it’s no secret that Ikea has been our most popular tourist attraction, closely followed by the school holiday rush to Kingston Park Raceway.
Both huge assets for the city, but they were flying a lonely flag – until now.
The city is looking to tap into a rich natural and cultural heritage to attract day trippers, and longer stays.
There’s an over-arching strategy in place which aims to increase visitor numbers via collaboration with a range of sectors, stakeholder groups and delivery partners.
Sounds like a stack of buzzwords, but those managing the strategy say it’s real.
One of the ambitions announced last year was to tap into the city’s 217 different cultures to enhance our reputation as a multicultural food destination.
We’re not Sunnybank yet, but there is a five-year plan to make the City of Logan the state’s multicultural food capital.
How? By building the current markets at Station Road, by promoting the best restaurants in the region, and by encouraging eateries to spruce up their venues.
Another important tourism drawcard is sport. Every time a sporting carnival is hosted by the city, money comes in, people stay a couple of nights, and they take away fond memories.
Logan has already tapped into a niche sporting market by developing bike trails, and world class BMX facilities.
Beenleigh’s $3.1million BMX & Skate is an Olympic-standard arena that has hosted national competitions.
The Daisy Hill Conservation Park recently hosted the Shimano MTB Grand Prix.
There are now plans to add launch sites to the Albert and Logan Rivers for boating, kayaking and canoeing.
Deputy mayor Jon Raven had a broad view: “Everyone who lives in Logan knows there are plenty of things to see and do and now the word is spreading to the rest of South East Queensland.”
He said Council was working with the tourism industry to let the wider community know about the great experiences on offer here.
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