States and territories are vying to host King Charles III and Queen Camilla during their expected visit in October, as the federal government works with palace officials to put the final touches on the royal couple’s itinerary.
Tourism authorities say past royal trips, which have resulted in images of Australian landmarks being beamed around the world, have prompted an influx of bookings and tens of millions in visitor spending.
Offers ranging from luxury tropical island stays, exclusive wildlife encounters, wine tours and opera performances have been put forward by the country’s premiers at the request of the federal government.
Giselle Bastin, a Flinders University expert on the British royal family, said it was unlikely the royal couple would visit every state and territory due to the king’s ongoing treatment for cancer.
“The tours have become much shorter since the 50s,” she said, adding that she expected the royal couple would do a six-day tour with about three appearances a day.
“While he’s very keen on all the states and territories … it’ll be whichever state has put in the best case for why they need to be visited.”
She is also convinced King Charles and Queen Camilla will enjoy the same rock-star reception experienced by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018, and Prince William and his wife Catherine four years earlier.
“Even though the Sussexes and the then-Cambridges had enormous media pull because of their youth and celebrity status, I think King Charles comes with that extra fairy dust of kingship,” Dr Bastin said.
“The sovereign is a big deal for many Australians still.”
So, what’s on offer?
State and territory leaders were asked to develop itineraries aligned with two main themes — King Charles’s first visit to Australia as sovereign and his interest in climate and sustainability.
Queensland’s proposed royal itinerary includes a visit to Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane, a trip to the Gold Coast and then north to Cairns, where the king would meet those impacted by January’s devastating flooding event in the wake of Cyclone Jasper.
The couple would also travel to Lizard Island, an hour’s flight north of the tropical city, where they have been offered the use of a luxury home and cottage — owned by Racing Queensland chairman Steven Wilson.
It is currently advertised at $30,000 a night, but the Queensland government said it would not cover the cost of accommodation.
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Queensland’s Tourism Minister Michael Healy said the king was no stranger to that part of the world — he holidayed on the picturesque Great Barrier Reef island during an unofficial trip in 1966 when he was aged 17.
“Others states and territories may be in a bidding war but Queensland is the obvious choice as the jewel in the crown of any royal visit,” Mr Healy said.
“It also fits with his personal interests in disaster recovery and the climate as our region recovers from the devastating flooding impacts of post-Cyclone Jasper and coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.”
Ms Bastin said it would be “very hard” for the royal household to pass up Queensland.
“It seems to cover all the bases,” she said.
“It would suit the king’s personal agenda in that it’s about the environment, sustainability … and the destruction of the natural environment — that is so much in his interest.”
Western Australia’s itinerary includes a visit to the WA Museum Boola Bardip, five renovated heritage buildings in the heart of Perth, and a walk along the Matagarup Bridge — a soaring pedestrian bridge.
The royal couple would also visit Rottnest Island, one of the state’s most popular tourist destinations, for a Quokka spotting session.
“We have put forward a number of unique experiences for the king and queen to consider which showcase our state’s incredible biodiversity, rich history and cultural offerings,” a Western Australia government spokeswoman said.
“The UK is a priority tourism market for WA, with 111,000 visitors from the United Kingdom visiting in the year ending September 2023, injecting around $227 million into the state’s economy.”
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said a royal visit would not be complete without a trip to Sydney, the most “beautiful city on Earth”.
The tour would include a visit to the Opera House, Bondi Beach and Harbour Bridge.
“I don’t think you could really come to Australia and convince people back home that you’ve come to the country without coming to New South Wales, in particular Sydney,” Mr Minns said.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff said he wanted King Charles to see “what it means to be a Tasmanian”.
“Whether it be our cool climate wines, unique heritage, reputation as a renewable energy powerhouse or craftsmanship, we hope to have the opportunity to show King Charles what makes Tasmania the best place to live, work and raise a family,” he said.
Royal visits can generate millions but come at cost to taxpayers
Tourism experts say royal visits often result in a flurry of bookings and enquiries from visitors.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s visit to Australia in 2014 saw stunning photographs of some of Australia’s most famed landmarks — including Uluru in the Northern Territory – showcased around the world.
Tourism Australia reported a 125 per cent increase in visitors from Great Britain to its website on the day of the couple’s Uluru visit.
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Daniel Gschwind from the Griffith Institute for Tourism said it was advertising that money could not buy.
“The king is one of the most famous people on the planet and he draws attention to the places he sees and visits,” he said.
“The king will be travelling with hundreds of media representatives and it will certainly draw attention to the many attractions we do have.”
Security and transport is typically paid for by the federal government, states and territories, but the royals pay for their accommodation.
But republicans say the cost of the tour should be footed entirely by the royal family.
Australian Republic Movement chief executive officer Isaac Jeffrey said the cost of royal visits often ran “into the millions”.
“This gentleman from the other side of the world lives 17,000km away … He’s got a $37 billion property portfolio and he makes hundreds of millions of pounds every year,” he said.
“He could pay his own way. Australians are suffering at the moment from a cost-of-living crisis and we don’t think that we should be footing the bill for rich international celebrities who only come to visit us every 10 years or so, for a couple of days.”
Mr Jeffrey said he would like to see the king and queen venture beyond the capital cities.
“I think it’d be great to see the king and queen of Australia visiting regional Australia,” Mr Jeffrey said.
“He could check out some of the big things — the Big Prawn in Ballina or the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour.”
The king is yet to formally announce the tour, which would coincide with the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa in October.