Australia's Gold Coast is preparing to host an additional 120,000 tourists, 60,000 from overseas, after winning a bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The tourist board winning the prestigious event had triggered a $500m Australian dollar direct investment in venues and transport infrastructure in the region.
The Gold Coast is the sixth largest region in Australia and is one of the country's most popular holiday spots.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said the Games could generate up to $2 billion AUS dollars in economic development with up to 30,000 jobs to be created between 2015 and 2020.
By Linsey McNeill
