Visitors to Noosa spent $1.15 billion in the region in the financial year – the highest since the outbreak of Covid-19, according to the Tourism Noosa Annual Report 2021-22.
The total, which included domestic overnight and day trip visitors was a record for a year-ending June.
The overnight visitor spend of $1.04 billion was the second highest on record – a 16 per cent increase on the pre-Covid figure, while visitor numbers increased only one per cent.
Tourism Noosa Acting chief executive officer Susan Ewington said the organisation’s strong marketing campaigns and flexibility during lockdowns and border closures in the first half of the year saw visitors from around Queensland increase their annual spend to an all-time record $609 million.
“Interstate visitation is now bouncing back with the reopening of borders and recommencement of interstate marketing activity,” she said.
“And with their average spend almost one-third higher than what it was before the pandemic, it shows they’re getting out and about and exploring the region and all the great experiences on offer.”
The annual report was presented to Tourism Noosa members at the company’s annual general meeting on 23 November.
Celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, the not-for-profit local tourism organisation works with local businesses, Noosa Council, business and trader groups, and other regional, State and national stakeholders to promote the diversity of the Noosa region to domestic and international visitors, the tourism trade and media.
The official destination marketing organisation for the Noosa Shire serviced 656 member businesses across accommodation, eat and drink, experiences and tours, retail, weddings, health and wellbeing, events and services.
It provided marketing, training, visitor services, environmental programs, industry development, networking and other opportunities, as well as connection to the wider State and national tourism industries.
Ms Ewington said although the Noosa region enjoyed strong visitation results during the year, ongoing challenges such as critical staff shortages and low housing affordability had presented new difficulties.
“Businesses have shown incredible resourcefulness in rebuilding and attracting staff in the past year,” she said.
“We supported their efforts through setting up a working group to formulate short and longer term plans to tackle the problem, with operators, Member for Noosa Sandy Bolton MP, Noosa Council’s observer to our board, Cr Amelia Lorentson, and other industry bodies.
“In response to operators’ needs, we recently launched the Tourism Jobs in Noosa website page where members can list their job vacancies for free. We are promoting this page to locals to encourage them to help out, as well as reaching jobseekers further afield.”
Marketing activity during the year included social media on the Visit Noosa channels which reached more than 10 million people with new videos and content, along with targeted print and digital campaigns. Members were offered free and affordable opportunities to reach national audiences.
“Noosa’s villages, from the coast to the river and hinterland, starred in our Explore More: Discover Noosa’s Villages campaign which highlighted the great range of things to see and do right across the Noosa region,” Ms Ewington said.
“We created 13 new village maps to encourage visitors to explore the entire region, 11 new village videos and a host of blogs, with the campaign reaching more than 1 million people on social media.
“We also supported 17 events throughout the region and kept in touch with international markets to ensure Noosa was top-of-mind for the return of global travel.”
The award-winning visitnoosa.com.au website increased unique users by almost 20 per cent in the year, providing visitors and locals with a wealth of local information on what to do and where to go, dine and stay in Noosa.
“We also supported smaller niche segments of the tourism industry including wedding, wellness, food tourism, adventure and business events with marketing and other activity,” Ms Ewington said.
“We launched our first marketing campaign in the valuable business events sector, Meet in Green Spaces, Breathe in Fresh Thinking which attracted more than 360,000 website impressions, developed new member imagery which Tourism Australia has distributed globally, and released the 2022 Business Events Planner.”
Tourism Noosa’s sustainability programs which won the Mumbrella Award for Sustainable Practices aim to protect Noosa’s green attributes by helping visitors and operators reduce their environmental impact.
Projects included:
– Trees for Tourism which has planted 5756 trees in conjunction with Noosa and District Landcare and event participation.
– Sustainable Events, working with event organisers to reduce waste, water and energy.
– Composting trial with seven businesses reduced commercial organic packaging and compostable waste in Noosa.
– Plastic Free Noosa program in conjunction with Noosa Council worked with 178 businesses, community and events to reduce single-use plastics – more than 11 million pieces of plastic have been eliminated from Noosa’s environment, including more than 66,000 plastic water bottles which have been replaced with Noosa-branded recyclable aluminium bottled water.
– Support for environmental initiatives such as the O Fountain water station in Noosaville, Noosa Biosphere Trails, Solar for Strata and the Koala Gala with groups including Zero Emissions Noosa, Unity Water, Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation and Noosa and District Landcare.
Tourism Noosa’s Visitor Information Centre in Hastings Street which earlier this month received the Silver Award for Visitor Services in the Queensland Tourism Awards, welcomed 81,000 visitors during the year.
“The centre is not only a hub for visitors, but is an important showcase for member businesses, providing regular activations where businesses can display their services, along with holiday booking services and advertising opportunities for members,” Ms Ewington said.
Tourism Noosa also supported the Shire’s business associations through funding and in-kind promotions, and the Noosa Travel Insights Hub online data dashboard was expanded to give members free, direct access to visitor data and insights to help with their marketing and business planning.
“We also took part in several projects to improve access for visitors with disability which will result in resources for members,” Ms Ewington said.
“With Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s announcement earlier this month that 2023 will be the Year of Accessible Tourism in Queensland, we are excited to be able to offer more help for members and visitors.
“We look forward to continuing to guide tourism as an integral part of Noosa’s economy and community, striving to make Noosa a better place for visitors and locals.”
She said Tourism Noosa had been asked to play a role in Noosa Council’s Destination Management Plan process which will guide Noosa’s continued success as a destination.
“We now look forward to being a part of this process, along with the local residents who will also offer their expertise, community knowledge and advice,” she said.
Noosa Council’s observer to the Tourism Noosa Board, Cr Amelia Lorentson, said the $1 billion-plus tourism industry had far-reaching benefits across Noosa’s economy.
“Tourism is so much more than visitors coming to enjoy a great holiday in Noosa,” Cr Lorentson said.
“Apart from the economic benefits to our region, Tourism Noosa’s environmental, cultural and social activities foster positive change for our community and I look forward to seeing the industry, Council and community working together to continue providing outcomes that make Noosa the best place to live, work and visit.”
