The region has seen a boost in visitor numbers over the last three months, with Queenslanders choosing to experience Rockhampton during their home state travels off the back of Council's latest 'Stop. See. Stay' tourism campaign.
Acting Mayor Neil Fisher said the campaign from Council's Advance Rockhampton team showcases the region's unique holiday experiences which are a major drawcard for Queenslanders looking for something different when booking their next holiday.
"Where else in Queensland can you catch metre-long barramundi in the heart of town, stroll along Australia's longest National Trust heritage-listed street, ride world-class mountain bike trails, and explore historic gold mining towns – all within 30 minutes' drive from one another," Acting Mayor Fisher said.
Assistant Tourism Councillor Tony Williams said the region's Visitor Information Centre has seen an increase in visitors from across the State over the last few months.
"Thousands of visitors visited the Tropic of Capricorn Spire Visitor Information Centre from August to October this year, up 43% on last year and of which 80% were from Queensland," Councillor Williams said.
"This is an outstanding result for the region and it's great to see Queenslanders exploring their own backyard, putting their hard-earned dollars back into our State's economy."
Rockhampton Regional Council's Manager of Tourism and Events, Annette Pearce, said since launching the Stop See Stay campaign in May, the Explore Rockhampton brand has reached and resonated with Queenslanders.
"Our Explore Rockhampton social media platforms achieved a reach of over 2.1 million over the past three months alone and our Explore Rockhampton website has gained over 15,500 visitors since launching in April this year," Ms Pearce said.
"Explore Rockhampton's promotional videos targeted at mates and families have played over 329,000 times across online channels, reached over 2.19 million viewers across Queensland, and our Stop See Stay billboards continue to reach over 2.7 million cars driving up the Bruce Highway."
Ms Pearce said these statistics align with the strong visitor numbers the Rockhampton region is seeing from the drive and domestic market.
"According to world-leading accommodation data specialists, STR, our region's accommodation providers have seen an average hotel occupancy of 77.63% from June to September this year."
The latest video in Council's 'Stop. See. Stay' tourism campaign has now launched across Explore Rockhampton's social media platforms.
Ms Pearce said the latest video in the series encourages nomads to pack their caravan, hit the road and make Rockhampton part of the journey if not the destination.
"In this latest video we profile some of Rockhampton's best attractions including the historic gold mining town of Mount Morgan, Australia's longest National Trust heritage-listed street, cruising the Fitzroy River, fossicking for thunder eggs, sunset picnics atop Nurim Mount Archer, and true Australian bush experiences at one of the many farm stays just outside of town."
To view the latest video, visit the Explore Rockhampton Facebook page or YouTube page.
