Tourism Figures Reflect Ongoing Appeal

Solid Tourism Figures Reflect Ongoing Appeal of The Whitsundays

MEDIA RELEASE - 25 June 2025

The latest data from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) and the newly launched Domestic Tourism Statistics (DoTS) collection confirm The Whitsundays’ position as one of Queensland’s highest-performing tourism destinations. The Whitsundays remains a key contributor to Queensland’s tourism economy, continuing to draw strong demand from both domestic and international visitors.

Update on Domestic Tourism Data

From January 2025, Tourism Research Australia (TRA) transitioned from the long-standing National Visitor Survey (NVS) to the new Domestic Tourism Statistics (DoTS) collection method. This change was driven by falling phone survey participation and the rising use of digital tools. The new approach combines online and face-to-face interviews with mobility data from over 5 billion daily data points, providing more accurate, modern, and timely tourism insights.

This quarter marks the first release of quarterly domestic tourism data under the new DoTS collection. As a result, this release reflects only March quarter data, unlike previous updates which included yearly figures. This means some familiar year-on-year comparisons at the regional level are not yet available - but by this time next year, comparable year-end data will once again be possible.

Domestic Tourism

For the March 2025 quarter, The Whitsundays welcomed 158,000 domestic overnight visitors, contributing a total of $213.7 million in visitor expenditure. This represents approximately 3% of Queensland’s overall domestic overnight visitor spend for the period. Queensland-based visitors remained the dominant source, with 97,000 intrastate travellers holidaying in the region.

The Whitsundays recorded 803,000 visitor nights, with an average length of stay of 3.5 nights and average visitor spend of $1,356 per person. The average spend per night reached $384, reinforcing The Whitsundays’ reputation as a premium travel destination. Due to the new methodology, data by travel purpose (e.g., holiday, VFR) is not yet available at the regional level for this quarter.

Domestic Summary (DoTS – March 2025 Quarter)
• Visitation: 158,000 overnight visitors
• Visitor expenditure: $213.7 million
• Total visitor nights: 803,000
• Average spend per visitor: $1,356
• Average length of stay: 3.5 nights
• Average spend per night: $384
• Intrastate visitation: 97,000
• Interstate breakdown: Not available this quarter

International Tourism

International tourism continues its upward trend, with The Whitsundays recording 178,000 international visitors in the year to March 2025, an increase of 0.8% year-on-year. Visitor expenditure increased to $243 million, up 18%, with the average international visitor spending $1,364 per trip, a rise of 17.2%. These figures reflect a growing trend of international visitors staying longer and spending more.

While the UK remained the region’s largest international market with 51,000 visitors (+7.1%), strong growth was also seen across Continental Europe (+12.9%).

International Summary
• Visitation: 178,000 (+0.8% YoY)
• Visitor expenditure: $243.3 million (+18% YoY)
• Total visitor nights: 1.2 million (-4.6% YoY)
• Average spend per visitor: $1,364 (+17.2% YoY)
• Average spend per night: $207 (+23.8% YoY)
• Average length of stay: 6.6 nights (-0.4 nights YoY)
• Key markets:
o UK: 51,000 (+7.1% YoY)
o Continental Europe: 79,000 (+12.9%)
o Germany: 23,000 (+3.5%)
o USA: 18,000 (-21.8%)
o France: 9,000 (-3.9%)
o Asia: 10,000 (-3.1%)

Tim Booth, CEO of Tourism Whitsundays, said the results reflect ongoing strength in the region’s appeal, despite the transition in data reporting.

“While we’re still in the early stages of the new domestic data reporting, the initial results are encouraging and point to sustained interest in The Whitsundays. By this time next year, we’ll have a full year of comparable data to track trends more accurately and guide future growth.

“Internationally, we’re seeing solid growth in both visitation and spend, particularly from key markets like the UK and Europe.

Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Ry Collins said these latest results confirm what we already know, the Whitsundays continues to shine as one of Queensland’s leading tourism destinations.

“With over $450 million in combined domestic and international visitor expenditure for the March quarter, our region is not just a postcard-perfect holiday spot—it’s a major driver of economic activity and local jobs. Council will continue working alongside Tourism Whitsundays and industry operators to build on this momentum and ensure our region remains front of mind for travellers from around the world.”

About Tourism Whitsundays: Tourism Whitsundays (TW) is the organisation responsible for destination marketing and visitor attraction for the Whitsunday region. It is the lead agency recognised by Tourism and Events Queensland and the Whitsunday Regional Council to lead the promotion of the region as a tourism destination. Tourism Whitsundays markets all aspects of the region including the Great Barrier Reef, Whitsunday Islands and Coast, accommodation, boating and sailing, fishing, touring, recreational activities, adventure, dining, shopping, weddings and honeymoons, conferencing and business events.