Annual visitor numbers recorded in the latest International Visitor Survey (IVS) compiled by Tourism Research Australia (TRA) show the Fraser Coast had 147,000 international visitors for the year ending December 2016, 20,000 more than in the prior 12-month period.
The Fraser Coast was the third fastest growth region behind the Whitsundays and the Sunshine Coast, and eclipsed the Queensland average growth of 10.2%
More than 90% of the 147,000 visitors to the Fraser Coast were holiday makers, which increased by 13.2% year-on-year. The best performing markets were the United Kingdom (up 11.1%), France (8.4%) and New Zealand (6.6%).
General Manager of Fraser Coast Tourism and Events (FCTE), Martin Simons said what was particularly pleasing about the visitor increase in 2016 was the boost in overnight stays and dollars spent.
“Holiday nights increased by almost 22%, lifting total direct expenditure for the region to $40.1 million, which is up 11.8%. This is a major turnaround on the trend over recent years where international visitation has remained flat and holiday nights have been decreasing,” he said.
“It is very positive to see such a significant increase and the Fraser Coast outperforming average growth for Queensland.”
Mr Simons said FCTE was continuing to focus on international markets. Already in 2017, since the reporting period, FCTE has travelled to Singapore to sell the region to trade specialists and Europe and the UK as part of Queensland on Tour initiative.
“The trip showcased the best of what the Fraser Coast has to offer to trade specialists and most were blown away with the close-up nature encounters available, which we hope will drive continued growth in 2017.
“A focus for us is increasing the visitor spend per night, currently $51. We are continuously developing itineraries to encourage visitors to increase their length of stay,” said Mr Simons.
The survey also revealed the average spend per visitor for the reporting period was $272 and the average length of stay per visitor was 5.3 nights.
Local tourism operator David Malcolm from Tower Court Motel said the results were extremely encouraging for the region.
“We have absolutely noticed an increase in our European friends visiting the area and the results following a successful 2016 have set us up for a positive start to 2017. We are confident this trend will continue and we look forward to welcoming more visitors this year,” said Mr Malcolm.
For more information on what there is to do across the region, head to visitfrasercoast.com.
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