Why Tourism Noosa Uses Digital Marketing and What It’s Designed to Protect
Discussions about tourism and marketing can sometimes feel polarising, particularly in a place like Noosa where liveability, environmental protection and community character matter deeply. It’s understandable that some residents question how Noosa is promoted and whether marketing contributes to pressures on the region.
What’s often missing from that conversation is how digital marketing actually functions today and how it’s used not to attract everyone, but to manage who comes, when they visit and how they experience the destination.
When Tourism Noosa shares content organically on social media, it’s not targeted at locals. In fact, most people who follow Visit Noosa on socials live outside the region. More than 80 per cent of Visit Noosa Facebook followers and close to 90 per cent of Instagram followers are based beyond Noosa and the Sunshine Coast. As a result, even simple, everyday posts are primarily seen by people elsewhere, with local reach occurring incidentally rather than by design.
Paid digital advertising is even more controlled. When Tourism Noosa runs campaigns on digital platforms such as Meta or TikTok, we are specifically targeting audiences outside the Sunshine Coast, with an emphasis on overnight visitors rather than day trips. This allows marketing to support the local economy while avoiding unnecessary pressure from day visitors and short-stay visitation.
Importantly, digital marketing today is less about promotion and more about precision. Rather than broadcasting Noosa to everyone, digital advertising is shown to people already researching holidays, reading travel content or considering destinations that align with Noosa’s offer. In this way, marketing helps shape demand rather than simply increasing it.
Digital channels are also used to encourage more considered travel. People who have already explored the Visit Noosa website and social platforms may later see information about accommodation, experiences or events they’ve shown interest in. This supports better planning and longer stays, helping visitors make thoughtful decisions rather than arriving on impulse.
At its core, Tourism Noosa’s marketing is guided by the same values many locals hold: protecting the environment, supporting local businesses and preserving the character that makes Noosa special. The intent is not growth for growth’s sake but attracting visitors who understand that Noosa is a shared place – one where access comes with responsibility.
Used carefully, these approaches help support local livelihoods while managing pressure on the places residents care about most. Thoughtful and authentic digital communication also helps set expectations before visitors arrive, raising awareness of the things that matter, encouraging respect for the environment, local businesses and our community. The aim isn’t to falsely portray Noosa or chase growth, but to protect its character, its environment and its liveability through a shared responsibility to care for this place now and into the future.
