Our tourism industry and extra visitors could not have asked for better weather during the school holidays. It has meant record numbers on beaches, flocking to water-based attractions and keeping cool at our natural rivers and water holes.
This final weekend will be a fitting way to mark the end of holidays with a celebration of Australia Day and you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the world you can take part in a dunny race, competitively eat a lamington and throw a thong.
Once school returns, we support several member businesses to attract the education market to enjoy our spectacular natural environment through outdoor education.
When we link tourism and education, we generally think about the contribution of international students at a tertiary level. But, closer to home students at primary and secondary level from intrastate and interstate are increasingly attracted to our region.
In fact, we really punch above our weight with the diversity and number of outdoor education camp facilities (over a dozen) throughout the Sunshine Coast that showcase our naturally refreshing environment.
For example, Queensland Conference and Camping Centre in Mapleton alone employs more than 100 people and hosts approximately 400 school groups equating to over 40,000 school children per year.
The other advantage is for every student that comes to the Sunshine Coast and has an enjoyable experience they are likely to talk about the positives and influence parents to return to the destination for a longer, dedicated family visit in the future, providing longer term benefits.
