Growth in Visitor Numbers for Year Ending September 2024
Posted on December 20th, 2024
Tourism Research Australia has released the National Visitor Survey (NVS) and International Visitor Survey (IVS) statistics to the year ending September 2024, with very positive results for the Capricorn Coast and Rockhampton and the broader Southern Great Barrier Reef destination, which includes the Capricorn, Gladstone and Bundaberg regions.
Nearly 2 Million Domestic and International visitors (1,944,000) chose the Southern Great Barrier Reef destination (which includes the Capricorn, Gladstone and Bundaberg regions) for either a holiday, business trip or visiting friends and relatives to the year ending September 2024.
Domestic visitors spent a record $1.6 Billion in the Southern Great Barrier Reef destination with an impressive $782 Million spent in the Capricorn Coast and Rockhampton region to the year ending September 2024.
The Capricorn Coast and Rockhampton welcomed 883,000 domestic visitors and 39,000 international visitors to the year ending September 2024, making up nearly half of the total number of visitors to the Southern Great Barrier Reef destination.
Capricorn Enterprise CEO Mary Carroll said “we’ve seen a three year trend change of 4.5% in domestic visitors, 2.1% in domestic visitor nights and a whopping 19.3% increase in domestic visitor expenditure to the Capricorn Coast and Rockhampton which is fantastic.”
“Domestic visitor expenditure to the Capricorn Coast and Rockhampton of $782 Million to the year ending September reflects an $885 spend per visitor and $289 spend per night which is partly due to inflation, but also reflects much higher yields than in previous years.”
“Our domestic visitors by purpose are roughly one third business, one third holiday, one third visiting friends and relatives, however our business visitation has shown strong growth to the Beef Capital and Yeppoon.”
“Our international visitor numbers and visitor nights have not yet reached 2019 levels, but we are working hard under our Southern Great Barrier Reef international brand collaboration with our regional partners to attract more visitors from our key western markets in Europe, UK and New Zealand with co-operative campaigns and roadshows rolling out in 2025.”
“While we do welcome international visitors to the region on military exercises to Shoalwater Bay, the majority of our international visitors are here on holiday.”
