Scenic Rim Regional Council, Media Release, 22 February 2021

The Scenic Rim region is reaping the rewards of Queenslanders exploring their own backyard according to the most recent Tourism Research Australia data.

Mayor Greg Christensen said that after a year of international and state border closures, the September 2020 year-end data shows that, while visitor numbers were down in the Scenic Rim, we fared much better than in other parts of South East Queensland.

“We know across Queensland, Australia and the globe, the tourism industry has taken a massive hit as the world has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

“What’s reassuring for us is that while our overnight numbers were down 21.7 per cent year-on-year, we weren’t as severely impacted as some of our neighbours.

“Brisbane, for example was down 38 per cent compared to the same time last year, and the Gold Coast was down 36 per cent as those markets traditionally rely on overseas and interstate visitors.

“Similarly, the number of visitors taking day-trips in the Scenic Rim only decreased by 3.5 per cent, which is significantly lower than in neighbouring areas, which recorded decreases between 25 per cent and 28 per cent.

“We’ve also seen a very small increase in visitor spend, which is higher than the average over the past four years.

“Our abundance of nature, outdoor activities and fresh seasonal produce are strong drawcards for day-trippers living within a two-hour drive of the region.”

Travel bloggers, Phoebe and Matt Lee, from Little Grey Box are just some of the Scenic Rim’s latest converts as they adjusted their travel plans in keeping with government health advice.

Phoebe said she thought she had already seen and done it all in South-East Queensland until 2020 came and forced the couple to explore closer to home.

“My partner Matt and I were blown away by the natural beauty of the Scenic Rim,” she said.

“Wandering through Lamington National Park, sitting around the fire at Baya Eco Retreat in Boonah and relaxing along the banks of Lake Wyaralong, we both found ourselves wishing we had visited sooner.

“With all the noise, chaos and stress of the last year, it felt so good to get away and find the space, peace and time to reconnect.

“Surrounded by the stunning Australian landscape, our entire trip felt like one big sigh of relief.

“It was exactly what we both needed to feel grounded and energised again.”

Phoebe and Matt’s new discovery saw the Scenic Rim clean up in the Little Grey Box Annual Travel Awards, which provide great exposure for the region to almost 52,000 You Tube followers and 17,000 combined Instagram followers.

The Scenic Rim won the Best Under the Radar Award as the destination that impressed them with its beauty and variety of visitor experiences.

Other Scenic Rim winners were Baya Eco Retreat winning the Best Bucket List moment as well as the Runner Up award for the Best Luxury Accommodation Experience. Hummingbirds Natural Pantry & Café in Boonah took out the Best Café Experience, while the Best Day Tour Experience went to ParkTours Tullawallal Guided Walk in Lamington National Park.

Cr Christensen said the Scenic Rim had also benefited from the highly successful Richest Place on Earth, in Australia destination marketing campaign, which ran across South East Queensland from July to September 2020. 

“We were fortunate to receive bushfire recovery funding from the Queensland and Australian Governments for this campaign to encourage visitors back to the region, and we’ve certainly seen the benefits,” he said

“The campaign was run in close partnership with local tourism operators showcasing the richness of attributes unique to the Scenic Rim.”

Tourism Australia Research overnight data in a snapshot – year ending 30 September 2020

• A total of 312,464 domestic overnight trips were taken in the Scenic Rim region in the year ending September 2020 for holidays or to visit friends and relatives. While this is a decrease of 21.7 per cent year-on-year, it is lower than that experienced by the surrounding regions of Brisbane (-38 per cent) and the Gold Coast (-36 per cent); areas that also lost their traditional international visitation during this time.
• The number of nights spent by visitors in the region in the year ending September 2020 decreased by 21 per cent, however this is significantly lower than decreases in the number of nights spent in Brisbane (-41 per cent) and the Gold Coast (-42 per cent).
• The total amount spent by overnight visitors to the Scenic Rim region during their visit was higher than their average spend over the previous four years, particularly for those visiting for a holiday.
• The average amount spent per trip by overnight visitors to the Scenic Rim region was higher than their average spend over the previous four years. 

Tourism Australia Research day-trip data in a snapshot – year ending 30 September 2020:

• A total of 1.12 million domestic day-trips were taken to the Scenic Rim region in the year ending September 2020. While this is a small decrease of 3.5 per cent year-on-year, it is significantly lower than that experienced by the surrounding regions of Brisbane (-28 per cent), the Gold Coast (-25 per cent), and Ipswich (-28 per cent).
• The amount that day-trippers spent during their visit to the Scenic Rim region was higher than a day-tripper’s spend averaged over the previous four years.