13th January 2016
Promising yourself you'd make the time to visit the breathtaking Whitsundays? Just never seem to get around to it? Just like your diet, you'll start planning it 'tomorrow'? Well tomorrow never comes, and the time to visit the Whitsundays is now with visitors set to spike over New Year's and the Chinese New Year period.
A spokesperson from a Whitsundays cruises company reported that the number of tourists visiting the islands was up on last year. While they conceded that there were a number of factors that go into making the tourism industry a success, it seems Whitsunday tourism is starting to ride the crest of a wave, so to speak.
The weakened Australian dollar means that the exchange rate is favourable for international visitors, encouraging overseas tourists to Australian shores. Combine that with the fantastic weather the Whitsundays offers at this time of year, as well as the beauty and charm of the islands, and people are starting to flock to the tropical beachside getaway.
Following New Year's, the influx of visitors to the Whitsundays is expected to continue during the months of January and February thanks to heavy promotion within the Chinese market, targeting Chinese New Year celebrations. Starting on the 8th of February, Chinese crowds are expected on the islands from the end of January.
In fact, China has grown to become the largest international market when it comes to overseas visitors to the Whitsundays, however the domestic market overall continues to be the biggest tourist market to visit the area. It seems no one on the east coast of Australia is immune to the siren's song of the Whitsundays, with the primary domestic tourism market comprised of visitors from parts of Queensland as well as New South Wales and as far south as Victoria.
