Keith Williams, the man behind the Gold Coast's Sea World theme park and a host of other tourist developments across Queensland, has died at the age of 82.

Mr Williams suffered a series of strokes over the weekend and had been in a coma since Monday.

A spokeswoman for Sea World confirmed his death in hospital this morning.

Mr Williams is credited with building the Gold Coast theme park in the 1970s and was the developer of Hamilton and Daydream Islands in the Whitsundays.

Amid fierce battles with conservationists, he financed the development of the Port Hinchinbrook Resort and Marina in North Queensland.

In January he was honoured with a Gold Coast legend award for his contribution to Australian tourism through the development of the Surfers Paradise Raceway, Sea World, and other key Queensland facilities.

Local businessman Lindsay Hallam says Mr Williams' Port Hinchinbrook project delivered the boost the region needed.

"To get somebody of Keith's status, his track record, and his passion, involved in our town ... threw a lifeline to [North Queensland's] Cardwell," he said.

"We're just so grateful ... Cardwell was his last development, and he gave Cardwell the lifeline that we had been searching for and couldn't find."

Sorry, this audio has expired Queensland developer Keith Williams dead

The Queensland Tourism Industry Council's Daniel Gschwind says Mr Williams helped transform Queensland from a tourism backwater.

"He has shown incredible innovation, incredible spirit, and without people like that I think we would not see the progress that we have made in this industry and, for that matter, in other areas of life as well," he said.

Former Gold Coast councillor and businessman Max Christmas says he shared a 50-year friendship with Keith Williams.

"He probably deserves a state funeral, he has been such an honourable Queenslander, but we must definitely identify him with some major monument on the beachfront at Surfers," he said.

"I think he definitely deserves a remembrance for all time in his hometown, Surfers Paradise."