Townsville North Queensland’s tourism industry has defied state and national trends, recording substantial growth in both visitation and overnight visitor expenditure, according to the latest national visitation data released today (25 September 2024).
Overnight Visitor Expenditure in Townsville North Queensland for the year ending June 2024 surged by 10.3% to an impressive $1.2 billion. This growth was underpinned by 1.3 million overnight visitors—an increase of 22.7% compared to the previous year—and a total of 4.5 million visitor nights, up by 7.9%.
Growth was evident across all travel purposes, with significant increases from both intrastate and interstate markets, marking the region’s continued emergence as a must-do holiday destination.
Townsville Enterprise, Director of Visitor Economy and Marketing, Lisa Woolfe, hailed the results as a testament to the region’s growing appeal:
"We are thrilled to see such positive outcomes in the latest National Visitor Statistics. Our region has not only captured the attention of intrastate markets but has also reached a record number of interstate visitors, with an 18.2% increase over last year. This reflects the rising appeal of Townsville North Queensland for travellers,” said Ms. Woolfe.
"Our destination is resonating with domestic travellers, and high-profile events such as P!nk’s two concerts, NRL games, and our thriving cultural scene have significantly boosted visitation and overnight expenditure."
"While many regions are facing challenges, Townsville North Queensland is bucking national trends in a positive way. This is a clear indication that we’re offering what visitors are looking for, and our brand awareness continues to strengthen."
“As a tourism destination this last year we’ve made great strides with the opening of our first five-star hotel, Ardo, and celebrated the success of local heroes like Adam Hinks from Aquascene, who was named Australia’s top tour guide. We’ve secured major international events, seen expansions in our tours and restaurants, and became one of the country’s first eco-certified destinations—further positioning Townsville as a must-visit location."
"But we are also on the verge of even more exciting developments, including the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium, The Killers performing live, and the airport masterplan outlining significant capacity growth over the next two decades."
Townsville North Queensland’s tourism sector is a vital contributor to the regional economy, supporting nearly 8,000 local jobs and ranking as the fifth-largest employer in the region.
Ms. Woolfe emphasised the importance of continued investment in tourism to ensure long-term economic and community benefits:
"To sustain this growth, we need to maintain strong investment in developing and promoting our destination. The benefits of a strong tourism industry extend far beyond driving economic outcomes. We know that tourism plays a critical role in promoting liveability and attracting workforce and that tourism can have hugely beneficial outcomes for communities through aviation connectivity, jobs creation and social engagement,” said Ms. Woolfe.
However, Ms. Woolfe cautioned that while the overall results are positive, early signs of a national cost-of-living crisis are beginning to impact travel behaviour.
"We cannot deny that these are outstanding results, however, we’re starting to see the effects of rising costs on travel habits. Spend per visitor has softened slightly, and the average length of stay has dipped by 0.5 nights to 3.4 nights per visitor."
“Townsville North Queensland’s resilience and strengths in domestic holiday and business travel, remains a bright spot in the broader tourism landscape”
"While statewide and national Holiday Overnight Visitor Expenditure has declined, our region continues to outperform. But we’re not complacent. We have a robust calendar of marketing and destination development initiatives planned for the remainder of the financial year, and we’re eager to deliver these with the ongoing support of our members, stakeholders, and regional councils."
“We also know that with a State Election on the horizon, we need to be steadfast in our advocacy to secure game-changing eco-tourism and cultural infrastructure to support ongoing growth potential.”
“With the region experiencing good growth and on the cusp of more – the time to invest in projects that will continue to support our regions potential is critical.”
Townsville Enterprise’s State Election Advocacy document, Unlock the North, identifies several key tourism and liveability priorities. Projects including the Magnetic Island Koala Hospital, an Arts and Entertainment Arena, Paluma to Wallaman Trail, Museum of Tropical Queensland upgrades and the Palm Island Tourism Masterplan have been featured in the region's advocacy in the lead up to the State Election.
The Ville Resort-Casino Chief Executive Officer Tim Richardson said:
“Townsville has so much to offer visitors to the region from the reef, to the rainforest and a bumper calendar of events so it’s not surprising substantial growth has been recorded in visitation.”
“We opened Ardo in December last year bringing another 132 hotel rooms to the market and launching the region’s first luxury hotel.”
“Despite having additional rooms to fill, occupancy rates have remained high across both The Ville Resort-Casino and Ardo. Domestic interstate travellers in particular have been enjoying visiting Ardo and discovering everything the region has to offer.”
“It’s fantastic to see that word is getting out about what a great destination North Queensland is to visit and we’re optimistic the tourism industry in Townsville will continue to record growth.”
