Hughenden and the Flinders Shire region attracted a record number of tourists in the last financial year, according to new data released by the council.
A total of 27,467 visitors came through Flinders Discovery Centre from July 2021 to June 2022, an 11 per cent increase on the previous year and a huge 42 per cent increase on 2019-20 during the travel restrictions of the pandemic.
However, prior to Covid, the Flinders Discovery Centre saw an average of 21,100 visitors each year from 2014 to 2019, meaning an extra 6500 people visited the region in 2021-22 compared to pre-Covid data.
Flinders Shire mayor Jane McNamara said the increase in tourist numbers was great news for the region.
“These latest figures show that Flinders Shire is hitting the mark in ensuring more people are travelling to our beautiful part of the world,” she said.
“We’re a small town but with a huge heart and big plans, and we know visitors are drawn to the north-west pocket of Queensland to discover Hughenden’s hidden treasures and endless possibilities for themselves.
“There’s so much to do here, whether people are looking for a new place to call home, lay down business roots, or stay the night on their next outback adventure.
“Council has placed tourism in the region as a key economic platform to support the community into the future, and we’re delighted to see these plans come to fruition.”
There is a myriad of opportunities within Hughenden, which sits at the junction of the Kennedy Development Road and Flinders Highway, and where Townsville’s coast meets the rugged outback.
Aside from the region’s natural attractions, such as the famous Porcupine Gorge, the $12 million Hughenden Recreational Lake takes centre stage as a place to unwind and explore.
The wave of new developments in the works includes a $200 million wind farm project, the Kennedy Energy Park, and the Hughenden Horticulture Expansion Project, including the development of Riverside, and the implementation of the Flinders Shire Water Strategy.
“Our story might have been 100 million years in the making, but we’re also future-focused with our eyes planted firmly on the horizon,” Cr McNamara said.
“It’s why we see Hughenden as an outback town, with endless horizons.”
The town of Hughenden might be the main business district of the Flinders Shire but across the whole region, natural attractions including Porcupine Gorge National Park, White Mountains National Park and Mount Walker are ready to be discovered along with the region’s prehistoric history.
Tourists are also encouraged to explore the township gems of Prairie, Torrens Creek and Stamford which form part of the 41,632km2 area of the Flinders Shire.
This article appeared in North West Weekly, 18 August 2022.
