Bushwalking and national parks driving regional tourism boom

ONE of Queensland’s most popular tourist destinations is losing its shine as Aussies shift their preference from theme parks and casinos to bushwalks and national parks.

THE shine has come off the Gold Coast as Aussies are shunning theme parks and casinos in favour of bushwalks and national parks.

There has been a drop in the number of Australian visitors to the Gold Coast staying at least one night, the first in about five years, while the regions are picking up the slack.

The Fraser Coast, Rockhampton and Great Keppel Island as well as Toowoomba have had a tourism boom as Australians shift from the traditional beach holiday to a nature-based getaway.

They’re spending up big while doing so, splashing out $17 billion in Queensland in the 2017-18 financial year while on holidays at home.

Brisbane remains the third most visited city in Australia, after Sydney and Melbourne, while the Gold Coast was in sixth place.

Elouise McCallum and Aysha Wilson, 6, enjoy the weather at South Bank in Brisbane. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

Tourism Research Australia National Visitor Survey data, to be released today, reveals that the number of Australians visiting national parks and taking bushwalks has increased 14 per cent – up to 12 million people.

But people looking to unwind on holidays are spending less time at theme parks casinos and night clubs.

Theme park trips were down 1 per cent to 1.38 million people while Australian holiday makers headed to the casino for a punt fell a whopping 26 per cent to just 671,000 people.

The changing trend is visible on the Gold Coast, which is synonymous with those activities.

Visitors to the Coast staying at least one night fell more than 1 per cent to 3.49 million people, even though daytrips remain strong.

But there were big gains on the Fraser Coast, which had a 29 per cent rise in visitors to 740,000 people, the Toowoomba region which rose 10 per cent to more than 2 million holiday makers and the Capricorn region which had more than 1 million visitors – up 6 per cent.

With stunning scenery like 75 Mile Beach, it’s not hard to see why tourists are flocking to the Fraser Coast. Picture: Jewelszee Photograhy/Tourism and Events Queensland

Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said Aussies holidaying at home meant more jobs in the industry.

“Our natural beauty is one of our greatest assets and it’s great to see Australians are fully taking advantage of the natural diversity our country has to offer,” he said.

“More Aussies holidaying in our own backyard teamed with record spending is a great boost for Australian businesses and helps contribute to a stronger economy.”

Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones said it was a record number of Australians visiting the Sunshine State.

“This is a great result for Queensland’s tourism industry but we need to invest in this sector to ensure we remain ahead of the curve in decades to come,” she said.