It’s been a big week for tourism on the Sunshine Coast.
On Wednesday, Tourism Research Australia released the National Visitor Survey (NVS) for the year end March 2019, revealing a record spend of $2.5 billion and 15% rise in total visitor numbers for the Sunshine Coast.
Excitingly the figures also revealed a spike in interstate visitors with record numbers from Melbourne and Sydney visiting the region, proof our marketing initiatives in these markets have resonated.
Another interesting figure to come out of the NVS was a spike in business travellers to the Sunshine Coast to a record 363,000, up 34.7%.
The growth in business travel reflects the strong economic activity across the Sunshine Coast as well as increases in interstate and intrastate visitors coming to the Sunshine Coast to attend meetings, conferences or exhibitions.
Business Events Sunshine Coast, a division of Visit Sunshine Coast (VSC), has also been working together with Sunshine Coast Council to secure several high-profile business events for the region in 2019.
Among them is the Queensland Tourism Awards, which will be held on the Sunshine Coast for the first time on 8 November together with Destination Q and Destination IQ.
Hosting the awards is a fantastic opportunity for us to show to the rest of the state what sets the Sunshine Coast apart as a destination, and it reflects the strength of our tourism industry that 27 Sunshine Coast tourism operators will compete for gold across 16 categories in the Awards.
This year’s entrants are a fantastic example of the diverse offerings we have here on the Sunshine Coast – from boutique accommodation providers to large-scale attractions and unforgettable experiences – which visiting delegates will be able to experience firsthand.
This event will be followed by the Sunshine Coast Business Awards on 9 November, supported by VSC and Sunshine Coast Council at platinum level.
The Sunshine Coast Business Awards are another opportunity for us to shine the spotlight on the innovative businesses we have right here on the Sunshine Coast.
With several other high-profile events on the calendar for 2019, including The Curated Plate food festival, we look forward to a bumper second half of the year.
