Townsville tourism: Growth beats the Whitsundays, Cairns, TEL says

Townsville has broken ahead in tourism growth, beating out regional heavyweights Cairns and the Whitsundays

A couple enjoy the rooftop infinity pool overlooking the Coral Sea at the Ardo hotel in Townsville. Picture: Tourism and Events Queensland

Townsville’s tourism sector is surging ahead of our closest neighbours, beating out regional heavyweights the Whitsundays and Cairns after posting more than 10 per-cent growth in visitation last year.

Townsville Enterprise, the economic development and marketing organisation, said the North Queensland region “was one of Australia’s leading regional tourism success stories” with an 11.7 per cent increase in visitation in 2024.

The results come after a number of big-ticket performers like P!nk and the Killers were lured to town to pay at Queensland Country Bank stadium.

TEL, which said the figures were based on data provided by Tourism Research Australia (TRA), said Townsville outperformed tourism powerhouses Cairns and the Whitsundays, which experienced declines of 5.38 per cent and 2.07 per cent respectively.

Compared to the 2023 data collated by TRA, visits to Townville in 2024 increased from 1,145,000 to 1,279,00, while Cairns and Tropical North Queensland across the same period dropped from 2,285,000 to 2,162,000 and the Whitsundays fell from 724,000 to 709,000.

TEL CEO Claudia Brumme-Smith said Townsville and North Queensland continued to “punch above its weight when it comes to tourism growth”.

“A number of factors have contributed to this momentum – from a stronger destination brand and increased marketing to expanded flight capacity, major new investments like Ardo, and a growing calendar of headline events like P!nk, the Multisport Festival and The Killers,” she said.

“These results reflect a coordinated and consistent effort that Townsville Enterprise has been proud to lead.”

Wallaman Falls, Australia's highest, permanent, single-drop waterfall. Picture: Tourism and Events Queensland

Ms Brumme-Smith said 2025 was also looking rosy, with the region’s peak-visitor season rebounding after the floods earlier in the year.

“In just the past month, more than 30,000 additional airline seats have been secured between Melbourne, Brisbane and Townsville for the next 12 months – a significant boost to the region’s future connectivity and economic potential,” she said.

“Townsville North Queensland remains one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations in the country.”

The Ville Resort-Casino. Picture: Tourism and Events Queensland

The Paluma Range National Park. Picture: Tourism and Events Queensland

Ms Brumme-Smith said the industry accounted for 9000 local jobs, alone.

“We’ve also seen an uplift in the quality of our tourism experiences, supported by targeted industry capability and training programs,” she said.

“This year we saw a 15 per cent increase in our tourism operators who are recognised as ‘Best of Queensland’ Product – an industry benchmark that demonstrates our operators are punching above their weight.”

She said the outcomes were “not just numbers”.

“They represent real jobs, real bookings and real business for our region,” she said.

“We (TEL) are delivering a return on investment that demonstrates the power of sustained, strategic tourism promotion.”

Dining at Marmor, Ardo, Townsville. Picture: Tourism and Events Queensland

Tim Richardson, CEO of The Ville Resort-Casino and Ardo, said the results reinforced “industry confidence in Townsville’s future as a tourism destination”.

“Between The Ville and Ardo, we employ over 1000 staff, making us one of Townsville’s largest employers,” he said.

“With the Morris Group investing more than $450 million in luxury tourism across North Queensland, it’s critical to see that investment matched with strong marketing outcomes.”

Pristine Hinchinbrook Island, the world's largest island national park. Picture: Tourism and Events Queensland

Townsville Acting Mayor Ann-Maree Greaney reinforced the critical role of tourism in shaping the region’s “liveability and future growth”.

“It is well documented that a great place to visit is also a great place to live – and time and time again, and especially more recently we’ve seen visitors fall in love with our city and choose to make the move permanent.”

She said the council was continuing to invest in its partners, destination marketing and the growth of its regional brand.

“With around $40 billion in investment expected across our region over the next decade, we’ll need almost 20,000 additional workers to realise that potential in the next five years,” she said.

“Driving visitation and building awareness of what Townsville North Queensland has to offer is essential to attracting new talent and filling workforce needs.

Brandon Flowers of The Killers performing at the Rebel Diamonds concert at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville. Picture: Chris Phelps

Jessica Lascheit of The Robert Towns Motel said continued promotion of the region was essential to growing appeal and visitation.

“We cannot underestimate the power of destination marketing — tourism is an incredibly competitive space, and for Townsville to be on the radar of potential travellers, people first need to hear about us.”

Originally published as Townsville tourism: Growth beats the Whitsundays, Cairns, TEL says