April 2, 2019
A record 56,000 international visitors travelled to Southern Queensland Country during the past year with new figures revealing a 12.5 per cent increase in holidaymakers to the region.
Southern Queensland Country Tourism (SQCT) said the latest Tourism Research Australia data revealed the largest group of visitors (19,000) came from Europe, including the United Kingdom – 29 per cent more than the previous year.
Visitors from Asia also accounted for a significant number of holidaymakers with 17,000 heading to Southern Queensland Country during 2018, up 26 per cent over 2017.
SQCT CEO Mary-Clare Power – who is retiring from the organisation in June – said the results reflected the hard work of tourism operators across the region as well as the success of promoting Southern Queensland Country overseas.
“These results come off the back of a 4.8 per cent increase in visitors to Queensland in the past year and a record spend of $6 billion in this State which bodes well for Southern Queensland Country,” she said.
Visitors to the region injected $57.6 million into the local economy over the past year.
Ms Power said the continuing challenge was to encourage tourists to stay longer and experience more of the region’s natural and cultural assets.
