Tropical North Queensland is enjoying the fruits of a record $3 billion in tourism expenditure up to March 2022, saying it is leading the state’s tourism recovery and reaping the benefits of the much-welcome boost to the local economy.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) CEO Mark Olsen said the latest National Visitor Survey figures showed Aussie holidaymakers are spending more and staying longer in Tropical North Queensland making it the strongest growing region in the State over the past year.
“Aussie travellers to Tropical North Queensland spent a record $3 billion in the year ending March 2022, up 18.8 per cent from 2019, with the average domestic visitor spend per night up 23.3 per cent from pre-COVID figures to $276 through buoyant average daily accommodation rates and an increase in spend on food and beverage,” he said.
“The 1.1 million holiday visitors stayed a record 6.5 million nights, up 6.5 per cent from 2019, with an average length of stay of 5.7 nights.”
Mr Olsen said Queenslanders were TNQ’s largest market with a record 1.5 million visitors staying 6.5 million nights, followed by 524,000 interstate visitors, which reflected the border closures in 2021.
He also noted the visitor spend was still $500 million short of pre-pandemic levels as the $1 billion international traveller market is yet to return to the region.
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said the latest Cairns Airport figures show domestic passenger numbers are above pre-COVID levels and more than 2,400 international passengers passed through the airport in the week beginning 20 June 2022 – the most since March 2020.
TTNQ chair Ken Chapman said the results were extraordinary, given the region’s two largest domestic markets of NSW and Victoria were locked out of Queensland for much of 2021.
“Outstanding results like this reflect the targeted marketing and public relations and additional funding rollout over the past 12 months have allowed the TTNQ team to educate the domestic market about the world-class experiences on offer just a short plane ride away,” he said.
“Many Australians are discovering just how spectacular the Great Barrier Reef and the world’s oldest rainforest are for the first time and they are blown away that Cairns is a cosmopolitan tropical city with accommodation, food and beverage offerings equal to those in our capital cities.”
To find out more, head to ttnq.org.au
