International spending is up in the Whitsundays

Via The Courier Mail

From Hollywood celebrities to European holidaymakers, this North Queensland hot spot is proving irresistible to international visitors spending more than $243m this year.

Visitors are splashing the cash in the Whitsundays, with the latest data showing international tourism is on the rise.

The 178,000 international visitors so far this year spent a whopping $243.3 million in the region, an 18 percent increase on last year’s spending, showing that visitors are willing to pay premium prices for their Whitsundays getaways.

With beautiful islands, stunning weather, and the Great Barrier Reef, it’s easy to see why the region attracts everyone from international movie stars to reality TV personalities and athletes.

Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Ry Collins said the data confirmed what everyone already knew — the Whitsundays shines as one of Queensland’s leading tourism destinations.

“Our region is not just a postcard-perfect holiday spot—it’s a major driver of economic activity and local jobs,” he said.

Visitor numbers were up across most of the UK and Europe, with continental Europe recording a jump of nearly 13 percent, but France bucked the European trend with a 4 percent decline.

The US clearly had other holiday plans, with visitor numbers nosediving over 21 percent.

Those who did make the journey made it count, staying an average of 6.6 days and dropping around $1,364 each.

Closer to home, domestic travellers mirrored international spending habits but favoured shorter escapes, staying an average of 3.5 nights. Queenslanders dominated the domestic market, with 97,000 intrastate visitors making the Whitsundays their backyard getaway.

The popularity of the destination is reflected in recent tourism wins for the region with Airlie Beach crowned Queensland’s Small Tourism Town and Bowen the Top Tourism Town and Bowen also taking out two wins in the state governments All the Best program.