Tropical North Qld

The July winter holidays have been described as the best in years for Tropical North Queensland, with an overwhelming influx of southern-state domestic visitors.

Tourism Queensland chief Anthony Hayes said regional tourism in the tropical north had been suffering until now.

“Given the tough couple of years the region has faced, this is a strong indicator that the region’s tourism industry seems to be on the up-and-up and many Australians are defying the current economic climate and spending on holidays at home,” he said.

“Many of the operators we’ve spoken to, from Port Douglas south to Cairns and Mission Beach and west to the Atherton Tablelands, are saying they’re having the best winter holiday season for years – rooms are full, tour operators are busy and restaurants are pumping.”

Tourism Queensland and Flight Centre partnered in June 2012 to develop a marketing campaign and since then the tourist bureau has undertaken a series of aggressive marketing activities to promote the tropical north region.

“Flight Centre reported that the region saw a 23 percent increase in sales compared to the same time last year, a 20 percent increase in room nights, and a 21 percent increase in passenger numbers,” Mr Hayes said.

Cairns-based Pinnacle Tourism Marketing, which represents a slew of hotels and products throughout the region, said they had to move customers to other resorts due to the staggering booking numbers.

According to the National Visitor Survey, Tropical North Queensland saw an 18 percent increase in domestic arrivals and a 22 percent rise in domestic air services into Cairns for year ending March 2012.

“Our intel tells us that strong bookings are continuing into late July and August, but now school holidays are over there are more rooms available,” Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief Rob Giason said.

“So for anyone still thinking of a winter holiday, it’s not too late to book.”

According to Tourism Queensland, the State Government has committed to doubling overnight visitor expenditure to $30 billion by 2020.