Holidaymakers finding fun on the Sunshine Coast
Posted by editor (editor) on Oct 24 2009
2009 >>

The Sunshine Coast was a top pick for Australian holidaymakers these school holidays, with outstanding weather and great deals contributing to a strong season, Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor said today.

Mr Lawlor said many Sunshine Coast operators had reported as much as 80 - 100 percent occupancy during the recent school holidays.

“Beach communities along the Sunshine Coast reported strong school holiday bookings across the board, with many self-contained apartments, caravan parks and camping grounds in particular at maximum capacity,” Mr Lawlor said.

“These positive numbers can in part be attributed to the success of recent Tourism Queensland and Sunshine Coast tourism partner campaigns which have targeted Brisbane and the southern states, as well as the stunning recent weather.

“These campaigns gave a huge boost to holiday bookings on the Sunshine Coast over the September/October school holiday period, generating an estimated economic benefit of more than $3.5 million for the region.

“This will prove invaluable in helping put much-needed tourism dollars into the pockets of hard-working local businesses.

“This is a terrific result for all industries which benefit from tourism in the Sunshine Coast.”

Mr Lawlor said Tourism Queensland’s most recently completed Sunshine Coast campaign was so successful earlier in the year that it was extended for an additional four weeks in June/July to include bookings for the school holidays until 30 September.

“Tourism Queensland ran the campaign in the traditionally low booking period of June/July in conjunction with the Sunshine Coast Tourism Partnership,” he said.

“The results showed the campaign website, www.sunshinecoastholidays.com.au, hosted more than 17,500 unique visitors during the four-week period, with 93 percent of these visitors checking out holiday packages available on the Sunshine Coast.

“We’re continuing to push this success with another campaign for the region currently being run in Brisbane and southern markets.

“The lead-up to Christmas is a traditionally slow period, but already we’re seeing better than expected visitation to the website and anecdotally we’re hearing reports of strong bookings across the region.”

Mr Lawlor said the campaigns targeted one of Tourism Queensland’s core target groups ‘social fun-seekers’.

“Social fun-seekers can be any age, but are generally holidaymakers looking for a fun time. While they might enjoy a range of activities, what’s important to them is sharing the experience with friends and family.

“These are one of the key groups that love a Sunshine Coast holiday experience.”

Last changed: Oct 27 2009 at 9:12 AM