Advancing the arts and tourism

KERRY Watson holds the keys to the City of Gold Coast, and was Citizen of the Year, but this weekend, he’s receiving a higher honour.

For services to tourism and major events, the Lake Gardens local has been named a Member of the Order of Australia.

For 50 years, Mr Watson’s been dedicated to advancing tourism and the economy, formerly director of Gold Coast Tourism, chair of Events Management Queensland for 20 years, and a board member of various tourism organisations.

As a founder of Gold Coast Eisteddfod, he remains chair of the comp, and its own foundation.

“Our creative young people are the future… A lot of people don’t realise how talented they are until they are given these opportunities,” he said.

For the last two years, he’s been living in Ballarat, moving down from Queensland to spend time with his regional Victorian daughters, and their children.

Here, he’s on the City of Ballarat’s Tourism Events Stakeholder Reference Committee.

“Ballarat is so different to the Gold Coast. This city has so much history dating from the 1850s, and I’m really enjoying that heritage side of it,” he said.

“I’m involved to try and bring some events and economic benefit to the city. It’s got great potential and needs to sell itself, with gold mining history at its front door, and five million people living in Melbourne.”

Mr Watson gets active at the Ballarat Golf Club and takes a keen interest in the Royal South Street Society Eisteddfod.

Throughout his career, he marketed the Gold Coast to Japan as a honeymoon destination, and a gateway to Australia. He is vice-chair of the Japan Australia Tourism Foundation.

He’s on the Community Council for Bond University, is a former director of Gold Coast TAFE, and former chair of The Arts Centre Gold Coast.