June 20, 2018
More than 1.4 million domestic tourists holidayed in the Southern Queensland Country area in the year to March 2018, according to new Tourism Research Australia data.
The figures, contained in the latest National Visitor Survey, found the region hosted 655,000 holiday visitors – 20 per cent more than the previous year – as well as 765,000 travellers who came to Southern Queensland Country to visit friends and family.
The data also revealed an 18 per cent rise in the number of holiday nights in the year to March 2018, compared with the previous 12 months.
“We clocked up 1.65 million holiday nights from domestic visitors in what is traditionally a quiet period for Southern Queensland Country during the hot summer months,” SQCT Chief Executive Officer Mary-Clare Power said.
“It’s an outstanding achievement and demonstrates the efforts our tourism operators have been investing in the long-term plan to raise greater awareness of our spectacular region as a holiday destination during the summer months are starting to bear fruit.
“We had an 18 per cent boost in intrastate holiday visitors to 510,000 people as well as a 29 per cent rise in holiday visitors from other parts of the country.”
Southern Queensland Country had a total of 2 million overnight visitors in the year to March 2018, including holiday-makers, businesspeople and people visiting friends and family.
Combined, they stayed 5.7 million nights and injected $647 million into the local economy.
“We also had 3.5 million domestic day trippers over the past year, an increase of 4 per cent,” Ms Power said.
“These are really encouraging figures, but there is always more work to do.
“Our next challenge is to urge visitors to Southern Queensland Country to stay longer and experience more of what we have to offer.”
Footnote: The South Burnett Regional Council withdrew its support for Southern Queensland Country Tourism in August 2017, but several South Burnett operators remain as members.
