Cunnamulla’s new hot springs bringing wellness rural

A remote Queensland town is just days away from launching an audacious new tourism attraction, which it hopes will draw in travellers from across the globe.

The outback town of Cunnamulla is hoping to cement itself as an “international wellness hub” when it launches its newest hot springs facility in early in 2024.

The state-of-the-art hot springs complex, which opens on January 17, features seven varying temperature pools, a sauna, a steam room and health and wellness experiences.

The facility will create 10 operational full and part time jobs in the region.

The facility is council owned, but will be operated by the Peninsula Hot Springs group, which operates a number of other hot springs facilities across Australia.

Its group chair and creative director, Charles Davidson, said Cunnamulla Hot Springs would help make the region an international attraction.

Despite the region already having multiple springs experiences already in operation, Mr Davidson said the market was “not at all saturated,” and the hot springs market in Cunnamulla was in need of a facility which would bring diversity and “global best practice” to the region.

Paroo Shire Council tourism team leader Ian Stone said the project was important because it would “bring a world-class facility to Cunnamulla, securing the town as a destination”.

Mr Stone said that the project has been in the works for almost 10 years and has been funded by a combination of federal, state and local government funding.

The complex will feature 7 varying temperature pools, a sauna, and steam room.

Mr Davidson said he believed the project would kickstart a “wellness campaign with tourism Australia to attract international wellness practitioners to Cunnamulla, to create a wellness hub in the area”.

Cunnamulla Hot Springs is set to open on January 17, 2024

Numbers from Cunnamulla tourism predict about 5000 visitors to the facility each year, urging local businesses to prepare for increased tourism to the area.

But Mr Davidson said he expected between 20,000 and 25,000 visitors over the next year, which would still not be enough to break even.

Originally published as Cunnamulla’s new hot springs bringing wellness rural