KERRY Watson holds the keys to the City of Gold Coast, and was Citizen of the Year, but this weekend, he\u2019s receiving a higher honour.<\/p>\n
For services to tourism and major events, the Lake Gardens local has been named a Member of the Order of Australia.<\/p>\n
For 50 years, Mr Watson\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
As a founder of Gold Coast Eisteddfod, he remains chair of the comp, and its own foundation.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur creative young people are the future… A lot of people don\u2019t realise how talented they are until they are given these opportunities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
For the last two years, he\u2019s been living in Ballarat, moving down from Queensland to spend time with his regional Victorian daughters, and their children.<\/p>\n
Here, he\u2019s on the City of Ballarat\u2019s Tourism Events Stakeholder Reference Committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cBallarat is so different to the Gold Coast. This city has so much history dating from the 1850s, and I\u2019m really enjoying that heritage side of it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m involved to try and bring some events and economic benefit to the city. It\u2019s got great potential and needs to sell itself, with gold mining history at its front door, and five million people living in Melbourne.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Watson gets active at the Ballarat Golf Club and takes a keen interest in the Royal South Street Society Eisteddfod.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s on the Community Council for Bond University, is a former director of Gold Coast TAFE, and former chair of The Arts Centre Gold Coast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KERRY Watson holds the keys to the City of Gold Coast, and was Citizen of the Year, but this weekend, he\u2019s 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\u2019s been dedicated to advancing […]<\/p>\n