As the managing director of Gold Coast Tourism, a local journalist has asked your opinion of

‘Schoolies’ week for a story she is preparing. What are you going to tell her?

Dr Noel Scott, School of Tourism, University of Queensland ‘Schoolies’ week is a major annual tourism phenomenon in Australia involving students who have completed Year 12, the final year at high school (see www.schooliesweek.gov.au). Each year in November (traditionally a low season for Gold Coast tourism), some 30,000 such students travel to the Gold Coast to spend a week’s holidays with their friends. ‘Schoolies’
week began when local students staying in their parents’ Gold Coast beach houses held a series of parties around 1975–1978. ‘Schoolies’ subsequently became popular as a ‘rite of passage’ with increasing numbers of students attending and using commercial apartments and hotels. After 1991, a commercial company, Breakfree Holidays, began to advertise ‘Schoolies’ accommodation packages to interstate school leavers.