While it has been well documented just how many more campers and caravanners are out on the open road, that doesn’t always translate into higher occupancy rates in van parks … at least in some areas.
Queensland’s Noosa Council has just released its annual report on visitation numbers, financial outcomes and operational activities at the Noosa Holiday Parks for the recently-ended 2024/25 financial year.
The figures show that the parks – which include Boreen Point Campground, Noosa North Shore Campground, and Noosa River Holiday Park – recorded fewer visitors over a 12-month period, with an industry-wide ‘softening’ and rain being cited as contributing factors.
Dark clouds and rain kept some travellers away from the Sunshine Coast earlier this year.
There were 59,670 visitors across the parks in the 12 months up until June 30, reflecting a 7.7% decrease in visitor numbers from the year before.
The numbers were also lower than in 2022-23, which saw 61,211 guest stay.
The Sunshine Coast News reports that, despite fewer visitors, the parks recorded $4.62 million in revenue and generated an operational surplus of $1.142 million. Forward bookings for 2025-26 are also reportedly currently exceeding $2.86 million.
The report was presented to councillors at a Services and Organisation Committee meeting on August 12.
According to the Sunshine Coast News, the report noted that the decline in visitor numbers reflected a ‘softening’ in industry-wide occupancy.
“Industry occupancy rates across Queensland, including the Sunshine Coast region, trended downward through financial year 2024-25,” the report said. “This trend has been largely driven by broader economic conditions and reduced discretionary spending.”
It also noted that there was a significant downturn was recorded in March due to the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, and extended periods of wet weather.
“While the Noosa Holiday Parks program experienced a modest year-on-year reduction in visitation and total revenue, overall results remain positive given the market context,” the report said.
According to the report, there were 4961 less visitors last year. Boreen Point Campground saw 1,805 fewer guests, Noosa North Shore Campground 1739 less, and numbers were down 918 at the Noosa River Holiday Park.
Boreen Point Campground recorded $690,000 in revenue, Noosa North Shore Campground $1.31 million, and the Noosa River Holiday Park led the way with $2.62 million.
“Revenue was 0.6% lower than the previous financial year, reflecting broader declines in occupancy across the caravanning and camping sectors regionally and statewide,” the report said.
“Overall, the revenue result is considered strong in the context of current economic conditions.”
The Sunshine Coast News reports that the three locations operate under long-term management contracts with Escape Parks, which oversees bookings, guest services, maintenance marketing and revenue optimisation.
Noosa Council has said it will develop a strategic plan for the Noosa Holiday Parks by June 2026.
“The plan will integrate regenerative tourism principles in alignment with Council’s emerging Destination Management Plan and strengthen financial management, sustainable reinvestment, renewal and program growth,” the report states.
In recent weeks, Noosa Council has been ramping up its blitz on illegal camping … with new night-time parking restrictions introduced at two beach car parks. It said it has received a significant number of complaints about overnight camping, cooking, loss of amenity and mess left behind.
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Tight times call for cheaper alternatives. $60-90 a night blows my budget.
Well of course this has nothing to do with prices they charging. I’m sick of paying for a price of grass to stand my motorhome on .it’s time Parkes sorted their pricing system to campers requirements. I don’t use jumping pads, camp kitchen shower, kids play grounds etcetc I am fully selfcontained. But like some parks locations to shops beach’s etc an happybto pay what I use. An now we live in a user pay society why am I paying for things I don’t use. So maybe parks need to address there charges to what’s used for camping. So you use lots,power water etc you pay just fir that. If you shower loose kids play grounds swimming pool etc etc you pay not those that don’t. Pretty simple
Then they may increase there patronage an cater for a more vast patronage.
I think the underlying issue is the big organisations that have created these “holiday parks” is a lot of parks are on good real estate and by pushing prices up occupancy rates will fall and the park is all of a sudden not viable.
Then the high rise appartment buildings will appear.
We try not to stay in “Holiday Parks” because of the price.
Even to dump a toilet a charge of $5 is common.
Having just come back from the Sunshine Coast and after talking to other caravanners at two separate parks one of the biggest challenges to continuing to holiday up there is the cost. Park fees are already at a premium and all indications are that they will raise again next year. Furthermore the requirement now at some of these parks are for a full weeks deposit when rebooking ( if you are eligible to rebook!). Of course added to this is the ever increasing cost of actually getting to QLD. The rate of people looking for free camping or cheaper hinterland parks seems to be increasing.
With the continuing large increases in Caravan Park fees it is no wonder that occupancy numbers are falling. Areas need more free or budget sites and people will spend money in the locality on other things
At $69- $90 per night for a caravan site it’s no wonder their numbers are dropping. You don’t need to be too bright to work this out. Pure greed.
would be interesting to see whether there was a decrease in inland areas or just those coastal places with their high charges. I do not think it has anything to do with the rain but travelers sick of the rip offs
Less visitors, surplus funds, it seems someone is putting their prices up to make more money if the numbers are down. What a great way of killing tourism, on top of restrictions on where people can stay overnight, lol. And they wonder why their towns are being bypassed by the gray nomads and their towns lose money. It’s all about give and take.
The other aspect of council owned parks is that they allow dogs to camp, but not cats!! My cat only exits the camper if she is under control on a lead. The rest of the time she stays inside.
It’s the same for both Sunshine and Gold Coast operated parks.
I have ceased going to any of those beaches now.
Really annoying.
Won’t pay for what I don’t use, either.
We have travelled to Qld Far north several times, along the coast; my feeling is some parks are being miss managed. With things like, we ring while we are heading out to a park, to see if they have a space for 1or 2 night, we drive a Ducato camper van not big, we get told no vacancy, or yes we have $80.00 per night, and it’s a dive position. When there are vacant good spots, for the duration of our stay.
They need to have a good look at how they treat people, and know what is available in their park.
The more you travel inland the friendlier it is.
We have a Ducato camper 6.3M and are also occasionally directed to the worst and smallest sites in the park while there are bigger and better spots remaining vacant.
A lot of park managers have lost the plot, and for some time have considered caravan owners a cash cow, to be milked for all its worth.
To top it off, they crowd people in so tightly that in some places you can’t even put your annex out fully.
Sure, they need to pay for the very expensive children’s playground equipment, pedal cars and bikes, bouncy castle, and the water park, but they’re all the things I’ll never need – so why would I go there, and help them pay it all off.
I’ll continue to stay ‘out bush’ and actively avoid the over crowded, and overpriced, coastal centres. Someone else can pay the flash c’van park bills – not me.
I can fully understand why numbers are down and would love to see which demographic is staying away.
* Perhaps that’s a topic for a follow up article?
The truth of the matter is caravan parks are putting in all these flash playgrounds which most of the oldies don’t use but get charged for. About the most we use is the pool. And $60 to $90 a nite is just day light robbery.
Fewer visitors to the Holiday Parks but still very good revenue & profits. No need to keep hiking up the Rates per site anymore. Keep illegal camping under control by allowing people to afford to stay at these beautiful holiday parks. The Noosa River Holiday park is my favorite.
I read all the comments and agree, the weather may be a contributing factor but higher prices at parks make anywhere near the coast too expensive for average nomad.
I don’t believe the weather plays a significant part in the decrease of numbers. In my opinion, it is the over inflated prices that are being charged to stay a night. It is now getting beyond the average couples to afford to stay at these parks. Once again as I have previously said, these park owners are getting more and more greedy, especially in the northern part of our country were they know that southerners come for winter. So they Jack up the price of staying a night.
To expensive.
They are TOO expensive.
Here’s half the problem:- “The plan will integrate regenerative tourism principles in alignment with Council’s emerging Destination Management Plan and strengthen financial management, sustainable reinvestment, renewal and program growth,” – talk about bullsh*t baffling brains!
With all the besuited bureaucrats sitting in their ivory think tanks rather than out on site talking to customers things are unlikely to improve, especially when there’s the image of a bottomless pit of rates income at the backs of their feeble minds.
So the recent crackdown on illegal free camping hasn’t created an increase in CP visitor stays? Now they have chased the backpackers away many other businesses will miss out. What a clever council that only listens to one business sector.
As we all know, if there is no competition the monopolies will thrive.
My own perception of the Sunshine Coast is the are RV unfriendly and I drive straight passed every year.
Whilst not trying to justify the prices charged, the cost isn’t just about the flash stuff (jumping pillows, bikes etc), the cost of insurance these days is ridiculous. A south cost NSW park where I stay regularly had their insurance almost double in recent times.
Iff coastal caravan parks want to charge these absorbatant fees to park a fully self contained rig on a block of dirt, don’t complain when travellers take thier rigs, and thier tourist money!. To a different location. As more travellers wake up to the fact they are being made fools of, this situation will only get worse.
Weather Councils,Caravan parks or any other rip off parking site likes it or not, there are thousands of free camp sites all over this Country…why anybody would pay stupid money to camp when they can camp for free is beyond me?
Go inland, and camp by a lake, for free, forget the coastal tinsel towns and it rip-offs.
With the over the top charges for these Parks on the coast along with the soggy, windy weather why would anybody bother, live not far away and we bolted inland away from the weather for the March, April period. …. Personally being squashed in together in these expensive parks isn’t my thing so avoid the coast all the time.
I am a sunny coast hinterland resident and i wouldn’t stay on the coast it costs $$$. We have travelled all over Aus and the most we paid was $59 a night in Hawker SA so why does the coast charge $69+
If you would like an alternative stay in the hinterland region its only 20-30 mins drive to the coast and its way, way less congested and noisy. Trust me we only go down to the coast when we really need to way too busy! Noosa & Maroochydore are traffic nightmares with little parking available.
Pomona showgrounds, Cooroy Pony Club to name a few worth checking out. Cooroy Hotel no caravan parking but good food & great atmosphere worth a visit.
its the cost – some parks in FNQ charge less than $300 a week with a pool near a beach but on the Sunshine Coast it’s now $650-$700 per week – just greedy
As a past Sunshine coast resident and now a regular visitor I can say with some certainty that it’s all about the prices the caravan parks up here are charging. Many, if not most, are council owned and they’re gouging at around $80 per night on average. Higher at peak times. Doubt we’ll be back. There’s much better value elsewhere.
Yep maybe drop your prices.. caravanparks are jacking up prices, just ridiculous. Go west people are more welcoming, friendly and caravanparks cheaper.
We used to go regularly,but has become to expensive ,and have found cheaper less crowded options
Weather this year and the COST for a patch of grass and a bit of power and a dribble of water costs the earth
We have been holidaying on the Sunshine Coast for the past 7 years and agree with other posts that $80 night for a small plot of grass when fully self contained is becoming too expensive With the cost of petrol from South Australia to the Sunshine Coast and 2 months accommodation we can spend the same amount and time in Bali with guaranteed warmth, dinner for two around $25 it’s a no brainer where we will be next year.
Simply getting to expensive to use sunhine coast caravan parks.
Must agree cotton tree c_/park going up for next year 570 a week don’t get much for it by time you pay for accusation and fuel to come from Victoria getting to expensive for us pensioners
Caravan parks are charging too much
Wow!!! $4.62 million in revenue with $1.142 operarional surplus. Thats what, 32% operational surplus. I’m surprised woolworths or cba haven’t jumped in for a piece of that .
The big issue for Noosa is the park fees and the barge. $32 to cross a 2min ferry ride is outrageous.
I stopped traveling because of the cost $$$$
Abuse by corrupt corporate and corrupt government locking up our free camping areas and forcing us into unaffordable caravan parks.
I no longer support this industry, I hope it goes broke to send them a strong message, to stop ruining our culture and our way of life.
Blackrock and insurance companies must be banned from ownership of our caravan parks.
Stop being greedy the Australian dollar should stay in Australia NOT OVERSEAS
LOWER YOUR PRICES so every Australian reep the benefits
If they stopped putting the prices up for park fees so much people would come! They are making it unaffordable even for camping.
It’s about time they look at their prices they are starting to leave my budget behind
I think there are a few reasons. First is the cost which leads to the second which is the rise of Hipcamps giving alternative sites. Thirdly I noticed that most of the YouTube “influencers” headed to WA last year so many people may have headed west. We actually headed south to the Murray/Darling Rivers this year expecting to go against the tide to less crowded sites only to be surprised with many parks booked out during our April-July trip. We also thought at the time that the Queensland floods reduced the number of winter nomads heading north. Those influencers are all heading up the Cape this year so next year maybe…..? On a side note is it a coincidence that they all seem to be doing the same locations or is there something else going on?
The only dark clouds around the SSC holiday parks are some staff members with very bad attitudes to visitors and if you dare complain they lie through their teeth and turn their story on those that are paying outlandish prices to cop this assault. Completely destroys any chance of enjoyment in the visit. Definitely not wanting to return to waste money or support this area any time soon. For such a lovely place you would think that staff would be happy to work and know how to make visitors welcome… not the opposite!
Caravan parks are no longer a cheap holiday. Councils have played a massive role in this by increasing land taxes to ridiculous levels.
That and the ever expanding facilities parks seem to offer these days and it all adds up.
It’s been quite a while now since I had my small motorhome. I would pull into a caravan park if possible to shower, take it easy etc. I remember feeling incensed if I was charged for the motorhome and not for how many people. Some did state, oh one person that will be so and so but others said nope, they have to charge for the van. It took up a 4 x 4 wheel drive Toyota Hilux space. Needless to say I only stayed one night there as just myself did not use volumes of water, lots of power, and all other provided resources for its people. One person income against 2 or 4 people’s income for the same space was ridiculous in $$$$.
The prices have doubled in the last 18 months, making it unaffordable for my wife and I as pensioners. We loved both Coolum and Maroochydore Caravan Parks, but they don’t offer pools or even a playground for children. The Gold Coast is slightly more affordable and includes pools and playgrounds. It’s very sad that it will no longer be possible for us to visit at all.
I’ve stayed in parks for more than 40 years, all over the mainland.
They used to be full of elderly ‘frugals’ with modest caravans, who’d saved & looked forward to a lap, all their working lives.
Fast forward to 2025 & parks are now full of 35-45s with kids & very expensive, flash set ups.
Discovery, GDay, Tasman etc – all the same vulture investor mob who’ve bought up the flashest park realestate across Australia.
Big price hikes, zero personalisation, iffy ‘loyalty’ scemes, endless T & C plus staff that dont care.
Lately I’ve been paying $45-50 night for a patch of mostly sand with zero shade & no power – tiny tent plus my car. For $130 across Australia I can usually get a securely lockable motel room with my own bathroom, TV, fridge, double bed, aircon etc. Powered site? $80-$90 (Me charging a laptop is charged the same as a bunch of people in a huge air-conditioned caravan or motorhome, with every electricity guzzling devoce under the sun!)
Declining numbers aren’t rocket science. Greedy investment companies buying up parks & greedy councils, gouging.
Caravan Parks are just getting too expensive.
Gray Nomads don’t want to pay for BBQ’s, play equipment & showers that they don’t use.
Nearly all new Vans have all this equipment.
Showgrounds are a very good alternative, usually with no noisy kids.
Also a lot cheaper.
They need to take a note of places like Emerald Tourist Park. RV’s can go up the back for <$20 a night but still have camp ground security and toilets. If you want everything else powered sites are the go down the front. I was looking last week to stay on the coast in Sept ( non school hols) and it was $85 to $99 a night. I don't see value for me in that. Therefore the town doesn’t get my dollars in all the other businesses.
I will avoid going to Qld East coast, due to the prices they charge.
I understand why they may charge these prices, due to their coasts of running these parks, as we know how much our home costs now to run.