The Whitsundays has much to celebrate as 2017 draws near.
Domestic tourism figures released this week show 516,000 domestic tourists visited the Whitsundays up to September 30, 2016, marking a 25.5% increase on last year.
This follows unprecedented international tourism figures of 229,000 visitors this year.
Tourism Whitsunday CEO Craig Turner said the figures painted a positive picture.
“As we head into the busy Christmas and new year period, it is great to know that we are obviously doing a lot right as a region, as we continue to attract increased visitation from both overseas and within Australia,” he said.
Tourism operator Al Grundy said the figures were just the start of more good news to come.
“Another important thing is that from March-April next year we will have new flights from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and those additional services mean more people coming to holiday,” he said.
“Therein lies our dilemma. We need to be careful with how to manage our growth.”
Dawson MP George Christensen agreed that growth management had to be prioritised.
“This is why it’s important we get the fundamentals of the Whitsunday Plan of Management right so we don’t have tourists overcrowding certain areas such as Whitehaven,” he said.
Source: Whitsunday Times.
Nerida Conisbee Ray White Group Chief Economist When it comes to Australia’s most expensive locations, the old money suburbs aren’t budging. Bellevue Hill, Point Piper and Rose Bay continue to top the list of most expensive suburbs for luxury homes in Australia. The top 10 per cent of these markets … Read more
Inflation is now within the Reserve Bank of Australia’s target range, coming in at 2.8 per cent for the September quarter and 2.1 per cent for October. Despite this, the RBA remained on hold today. The hold is disappointing but reflects the relative strength of our economy, particularly compared to … Read more