Viral video criticised as Magnetic Island’s tourism numbers power ahead
A viral video claiming Magnetic Island’s tourism stocks were in decline has been challenged by residents and stakeholders. See what they said.
Townsville
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Reports of Magnetic Island’s tourism decline are greatly exaggerated according to multiple residents, businesses and stakeholders, who have stepped forward to set the record straight.
A video uploaded on Saturday to TikTok by @crackajack9, a representative of a local kayak tour company, showed scenes at Magnetic Island absent of people at a pub, waterfronts, and beach, claiming that businesses weren’t opening and that tourism numbers were down 70 per cent for 2024.
Viewed over 143,0000 times, the video quickly gained national media attention which described the island as a “ghost town” and “completely deserted”.
The reporting received push back from residents on social media who described it as “inaccurate”, “unreliable” and “exaggerated”, while others shared stories about the island being busy over the past week.
Townsville Enterprise (TEL) director Visitor Economy and Marketing Lisa Woolfe said while the impact of natural weather events earlier in the year certainly impacted the region, the numbers across aviation, accommodation and experiences were up on 2023’s figures.
“There’s no denying that weather events and the softening of the domestic market post-Covid has made it a challenging start to the year for some operators in our region; however, as we look at current and future trends for 2024, we’re pleased to say that forward bookings are looking strong for our peak season.”
“For February and March 2024, we have seen record numbers both for our airport and ferry services, with April seeing a positive uplift of 3.5 per cent on last year – these passengers travel through Townsville and onto Magnetic Island, which is always a key experience on any itinerary.
“From our Magnetic Island operators, we’re also hearing that they have in fact experienced a strong March – April, with many noting that this has been their second busiest year operating.”
In addition to campaigns in support of domestic tourism, TEL were at Melbourne’s Australian Tourism Exchange this week to boost NQ’s international presence, meeting with over 80 key international travel partners with more than a dozen operators from the region.
Islanders weigh in on tourism controversy
A Magnetic Island resident who didn’t wish to be named, shared a photo of Horseshoe Bay beach packed with spectators to capture “the most magnificent sunset” on Sunday evening.
She said the vacant scenes captured by the TikTok were “not what I’m seeing”.
“Whoever wrote that Maggie was not getting any visitors surely wasn’t there at the right time to take photos,” she said.
“Just came back from the most magnificent sunset and when I turned to look back up the beach, there were so many people that I just thought I had to share.”
She said the Magnetic Island Sunday Markets were “rocking”, you couldn’t get a park on Sunday morning, and there was a 20min wait for coffee because all of the cafes were packed.
After 17 years of recording passenger numbers, Sealink North Queensland general manager Darren Spearman said they achieved record numbers in February and March.
Aquascene Magnetic Island co-owner Steph Hinks, said the island was still seeing higher visitor numbers since settling back into pre-Covid visitation cycles.
“May is traditionally a different month with bookings, and our forward bookings are looking healthy,” Ms Hinks said.
Nomads (formerly Base) general manager Paul Bainbridge said they have been flat out since January with about 96 per cent occupancy, with this weekend’s Beats n’ Eats food trucks event expected to draw 400-500 visitors.
Magnetic Island Tours owner Neil Randall said they were still trading above pre-Covid numbers, and “this financial year is our second best trading year ever”.
Owner of the Arcadia Village Hotel since 2019, John Shepley said normal seasonality had returned to the island post-pandemic, with the traditionally quiet months usually in February, March, May, June and November.
“We’ve just had the past 12 months of normal seasonality so I don’t see why people are saying that Maggie Island’s a ghost town … it’s pretty similar to last May”, Mr Shepley said.
“It’s not a ghost town. There are visitors here. It’s just not peak season, (it’s) slow season … where your visitor numbers are down.”
Mr Shepley said now was the best time of the year to visit Magnetic Island.
“May and June’s absolutely fantastic over here because you haven’t got the huge crowds and the weather is absolutely divine,” he said.
“Some people are very smart and they travel in the low season, but a lot of people have kids where it’s difficult to travel in the low season because they’ve either got to take the kids out of school or travel without them, and there’s not a lot of people that do that.”
@crackajack9 was approached for comment.
Government details its support for NQ tourism
A Department of Tourism spokeswoman reaffirmed the government’s support for Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef and iconic islands, saying they were fundamental to our tourism industry.
“Queensland holds the number one spot as Australia’s favourite holiday destination but we know there are cost of living pressures as well as intense competition from international destinations challenging the state’s tourism operators,” the spokeswoman said.
“The Queensland Government understands the unique challenges that our island tourism operators face and is investing into our visitor economy with targeted support where it’s needed most.
“Funding was provided through Tourism and Events Queensland for immediate marketing assistance to the Townsville North Queensland region following Cyclone Kirrily.”
She said there were a range of initiatives promoted including:
• The ‘Mates Rates’ campaign offered locals the opportunity to receive 50 per cent off tourism deals. The campaign supported 36 operators across the Townsville region, including accommodation and tourism experience providers. ‘Mates Rates’ sold out in just 72 hours.
• Virgin Australia’s Queensland sale from February 14 to 20 for travel between March and May 2024. The sale saw 60 per cent of bookings purchased for travel in March and April, driving immediate visitation to the regions that need it most.
• NRL All Stars match – marketing and leveraging including live crosses, NRL talent sharing experiences on social media and publicity efforts.
• Hosting global lifestyle and travel media, reviewing luxury openings and experiencing local attractions. Seven global media visits, articles syndicated to promote the region post-cyclone to reach a potential audience of more than 17 million and publicity value of $4.1 million.
Tourism and Events Queensland is in the planning stages for a major marketing campaign.
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Originally published as Viral video criticised as Magnetic Island’s tourism numbers power ahead
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