Excellent reviews from tourists have resulted in a big tick for the Mount Isa Underground Hospital and Museum.
The city’s top tourist attraction was picked for the Best of Queensland Experiences Program, which should lead to greater exposure through Tourism and Events Queensland.
“There’s a 100-point system with all kinds of criteria and we ticked enough boxes to receive this badge of honour,” said Erica Shaw, the Underground Hospital’s volunteer coordinator.
“We also get the report and can see where there is room for improvement.”
Ms Shaw said the weight of positive online reviews from tourists had helped the iconic destination’s rating.
“We have had nothing but four and five-star reviews this year,” she said.
“Tourists are wanting more unique experiences and we feel we have a great product that is growing and growing.”
The Mount Isa Underground Hospital and Museum had an unusually busy start to the tourism season, Ms Shaw said, but that was starting to flatten out.
“Our numbers at the start of the year were incredible but in July we were back to our 2021 figures, although still slightly up by around two per cent,” she said.
Of course, the tours can’t run without volunteers and Ms Shaw paid tribute to the 18 dedicated locals who gave up their time on a regular basis.
“Some of them are behind the scenes, so we definitely need more front-facing volunteers,” she said.
With the Underground Hospital now listed in the Best of Queensland Experiences Program, more tourists are expected next year and beyond.
Operators who are identified as Best of Queensland Experiences benefit by:
- Being included in Tourism and Events Queensland’s operator database accessed by staff when planning marketing and activity;
- Receive prioritisation across all Tourism and Events Queensland marketing and activity, including on queensland.com; and
- Receive a Stamp of Recognition which they can use on their own marketing.
The program encourages all Queensland operators to exceed consumer expectations and deliver exceptional experiences.
This article appeared in North West Weekly, 4 August 2022.
