The Central Coast has just made it to a list of the top 10 domestic travel destinations in Australia.
The latest DSpark report, commissioned by Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) Australia, shows visits by Australian travellers surged for all top 10 regional tourism destinations from December 2022 to May 2023, compared to pre-Covid figures.
The Central Coast is sitting at number 10, with overall growth post-pandemic at two per cent.
More significant however, is the growth in what is considered the high yield visitor group – those aged between 30 and 64 – which is up by 6.1 per cent.
Overnight stays on the Coast are also now at 2.4 per cent.
Central Coast Council’s Acting Director Community and Recreation Services Brett Sherar said the report highlighted the continuing trend for Australians to explore destinations in their own backyard, with the Central Coast firmly at number 10 for most popular intrastate overnight trips.
“Interestingly NSW residents preferred to stay within their own state for any regional holiday,” he said.
“This was good news for the Central Coast, as we’re so accessible for the huge visitor market from Sydney.
“We had a large influx of visitors and locals at the recent ChromeFest and anticipate just as many for the Lakes Festival commencing on Friday, November 3, and running over 10 days, with more than 30 events from Killcare to Budgewoi.”
The Central Coast is also home to the 10th most visited national park in the State (Brisbane Water National Park), with new figures showing that in the past year more than five million people visited national parks in the Hunter Central Coast region.
Sherar said achieving ECO Destination status on World Environment Day in 2022 had helped grow visitation numbers to the Central Coast, with many travellers now conscious about the types of holidays and tourism activities they want to support.
“The Central Coast is one of only three destinations in NSW to achieve international recognition as a sustainable tourism destination through Ecotourism Australia’s ECO Destination Certification program,” he said.
Sherar said the Central Coast had also just been announced as the only Australian destination in the 2023 Green Destinations Top 100 List, a finalist for a third year running.
“This year we focused the Coast’s sustainability story on the vital role our local tourism industry plays as advocate for more responsible tourism practices, inspired by certified local ecotourism businesses pursuing their own sustainability journey,” he said.
Council Administrator Rik Hart said the Central Coast visitor economy was a major contributor to supporting the growth of the region, bringing in more than $1B dollars in the past year alone, boosting local businesses as well as providing employment.
“The latest visitation numbers released in March 2023 by Destination NSW, via Tourism Research Australia, show annual visitation to the Central Coast was 5.7 million people, with their expenditure around $1.3B,”
Rik Hart
“This is extraordinarily important to the local economy for both business and employment.”
Hart said all eyes were on the 2023 NSW Tourism Awards ceremony in Sydney on November 8, with Central Coast Council a finalist for the third year running in the Local Government Award for Tourism category.
Other local finalists include The Australian Reptile Park, Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific and Glenworth Valley Wilderness Adventures.
Source:
Central Coast Council