Townsville and North Queensland sees record-breaking tourism numbers for last financial year

Townsville has bucked state and national trends with significant growth in visitation and overnight visitor spending, according to the latest national data. See the breakdown here.

TOWNSVILLE GENERIC – SUPPLIED BY TOWNSVILLE ENTERPRISE/QUEENSLAND TOURISM COUNCIL

Recording significant growth in visitation and overnight visitor expenditure, Townsville has defied state and national trends according to the latest national visitation data.

For the year ending June 2024, Townsville’s overnight visitor expenditure grew by 10.3% to $1.2 billion.

This was thanks to 1.3 million overnight visitors, an increase of 22.7 per cent from the previous year.

Visitor growth came from both interstate and Queensland visitors flocking to experience what Townsville has to offer.

Chief executive officer at The Ville Resort-Casino Tim Richardson said Townsville has so much to offer visitors from the regions to the reef to events, citing their newest hotel as a great investment with tourist demand.

Townsville Enterprise tourism: The Ville Splash Bar

“We opened Ardo in December last year, bringing another 132 hotel rooms to the market,” he said.

“Domestic interstate travellers, in particular, have been enjoying visiting Ardo and discovering everything the region has to offer.

Mr Richardson said it was great to see word getting out about how great North Queensland is to visit.

“ … We’re optimistic the tourism industry in Townsville will continue to record growth,” he said.

Townsville Enterprise’s Director of Visitor Economy and Marketing, Lisa Woolfe, said the organisation was thrilled to see positive results for the city’s visitor stats.

TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 14: The Cowboys run onto the field during the NRL Qualifying Final match between North Queensland Cowboys and Newcastle Knights at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

“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,” she said.

“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 master plan outlining significant capacity growth over the next two decades.”

Ms Woolfe said with many regions facing challenges to entice visitors the data was a clear indication that Townsville and North Queensland are bucking the trends.

Socials at Pink convert at Townsville's Queensland Country Bank Stadium. Picture: Evan Morgan

“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,” she said.

Hoping to retain the great visitor numbers, Ms Woolfe cautioned that while the overall stats are positive, data is beginning to show signs that the cost-of-living crisis is affecting travel. Visitor stats show that the average length of a trip to Townsville has lessened from 3.9 to 3.4 nights per visitor, with spend per visitor also lessening slightly.

“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.”

Originally published as Townsville and North Queensland sees record-breaking tourism numbers for last financial year