A record number of international visitors came to the Whitsundays in the year ending September 30, 2016, with a total of 229,000 overseas visitors coming to the region, of which 221,000 were holidaymakers. This is the highest number of overseas holidaymakers visiting the Whitsundays in a 12 month period ever recorded, and represents an increase of 10.3 per cent on the previous year. Moreover, the visitor expenditure figure for the year was also a record – the overseas visitors spent a total of $209.2 million in the region, which is a 21.7 per cent increase on the previous year and the highest expenditure ever recorded for a 12-month period.
Strong growth came from the USA (22,000 visitors, up 41 per cent on last year), Canada (12,000 visitors, up 34 per cent) and China (20,000 visitors, up 68 per cent). The two biggest markets for the Whitsundays in the past year were the UK (49,000 visitors, up 0.2 per cent) and Germany (33,000 visitors, up 4.2 per cent). Tourism Whitsundays CEO Craig Turner said the figures were a great boost for the region – not just for those working in the tourism industry but for everyone living and working in the region. “These figures are extremely exciting for us as a region,” he said. “To have record numbers of overseas visitors arriving in the past year is outstanding and is testament to all the work put in by our tourism operators, who work hard to promote the region supported by Tourism & Events Queensland, Tourism Whitsundays and Whitsunday Regional Council.
“We know we have one of the best destinations in the world and these figures are very, very encouraging – it means overseas holidaymakers are choosing us over the competition, which is fantastic. “We certainly won’t be resting on our laurels though and this only makes us want to work even harder to attract more international visitors to our region.” The region also welcomed 12,000 visitors from New Zealand, 9,000 visitors from France and 8,000 visitors from Japan in the year to September 30, 2016.
Editor’s Notes
In the heart of the Great Barrier Reef on Queensland’s coast, the Whitsundays is made up of 74 island wonders in the warm waters of the Coral Sea. The Whitsundays is the perfect place to swim and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, charter a boat and cruise the islands, or witness the incredible diversity of marine life including turtles, whales, dolphins and tropical fish. To find out more about the Whitsundays and to book your next tropical escape, visit Tourism Whitsundays website here www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au
FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES, CONTACT:
Deborah Friend
PR & Communications Specialist
Tourism Whitsundays
Ph: (07) 4948 5917 or 0417 765 736
Email: pr@tourismwhitsundays.com.au
Source: Tourism Whitsundays.
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