The caravanning boom is alive and well and living, among other places, in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
New figures from Tourism Research Australia show there were about 650,000 trips to holiday parks, caravan parks and campgrounds in the region during the 12 months to September 2024 … an increase of more than 10% on the previous year.
And Matt Stoeckel from Visit Sunshine Coast told the Sunshine Coast News that he expected camping numbers to remain strong throughout 2025.
“It’s the natural environment that makes the Sunshine Coast such a popular destination for campers,” he said. “For example, our coastal holiday parks such as at Coolum, Cotton Tree, Dicky Beach, Noosa and Mooloolaba are as close to the beach as you can get.”
The number of people travelling in caravans continues to grow. PIC: Cizza
Mr Stoeckel said other parks like the Big 4 Caloundra and Ingenia Riverside offered incredible experiences and services that went beyond what people usually expected from a caravan park.
“They are destinations in themselves, and the operators are constantly making investments to improve their facilities,” he told the Sunshine Coast News. “Equally impressive are our hinterland campsites located in beautiful rainforest locations and set amongst stunning rural landscapes, where campers can enjoy the serenity and take in the night sky under a cosy campfire.”
The data shows the Sunshine Coast Council’s six holiday parks welcomed more than 125,000 visitors last year, contributing $12 million to the local economy.
“Over the summer holiday period they have been close to capacity, which is no wonder given the affordability of camping,” Mr Stoeckel said. “Our coastal holiday parks are situated right next to beaches, shaded by lots of trees and feel very relaxing with a great community vibe.”
He said many caravan and holiday parks were pet-friendly, and many also offered significant amenities and offerings, with some even including luxuries like water parks.
But, Mr Stoeckel told the SCN there were also more budgetary options on the Sunshine Coast.
“There are free camping areas which are very popular during holiday periods,” he said. “These include the camping site at Little Yabba Creek Park, located in Cambroon on the Maleny-Kenilworth Road, which has barbecues, toilets and allows campfires.”
The region’s 23 national park and state forest campgrounds also remain significant drawcards, although the Department of the Environment told the Sunshine Coast News there were slightly fewer overnight stays at them in 2024, compared to 2023.
There were 68,589 camping permits with 163,066 camper nights in 2024, a slight decrease from 77,891 camping permits and 188,474 camper nights the previous year.
“The reason for this decrease in numbers is likely due to visitation to our protected areas returning to normal post-Covid, and weather events also cause fluctuations in numbers between years,” a spokesperson told the Sunshine Coast News.
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We stayed at the Coolum caravan park a couple of years ago and found it highly overpriced with small sites. We now don’t go anywhere near the sunshine coast preferring to travel further inland where the parks are more affordable and spacious
We are happy that RV’ers are choosing the coast as that leaves more space for the rest of us genuine travellers to explore the remainder of the country at our leisure.