After years of domestic travel boom, there are signs that the numbers of travellers heading out into the Outback is slowing significantly.
According to the Outback Queensland Tourism Association, the Sunshine State has recorded its worst start to the tourism season in four years with visitor numbers down 11%.
Association chief executive, Denise Brown, told the ABC that this past Easter was the first time in four years that tourism hotspots, including those on the coast, weren’t full.
“The whole domestic tourism market is suffering,” she said. “The whole world has opened up, international travel is well and truly back on the cards and, with that, comes the rise in competition.”
Heading bush ... but are numbers starting to drop off? PIC: Cizza
The ABC reports that, at the end of 2021 and throughout 2022, costly international airfares and caution over Covid meant Aussies were eager to explore their own backyard … but times are changing.
Cruises, for example, have recorded their first successful season since lockdowns ended.
“If you’ve looked at your newspapers and your news feed, they have been plagued with some attractive cruise deals which have seen the January to March season just absolutely swamped,” Ms Brown told the ABC.
The tourism sector is also being hit as a whole by rising interest rates and a cost of living spike, which has meant higher fuel prices.
Min Min Encounter tourism officer Karen Savage told the ABC that numbers were down 50% at the tourist attraction in the Outback town of Boulia, 1,000 kilometres west of Townsville.
“That means 50% less income coming into the town, which heavily relies on our tourism season, and that means the entire budget for all our businesses are down for the year,” she said.
Alan Smith, who runs a tour business covering most of Outback Queensland, told the ABC there is a bit of hesitancy around, and they were not just seeing the same tourist numbers.
“If it doesn’t pick up this year it will be devastating,” Ms Savage said. “There are a lot of small businesses in town that heavily rely on tourist dollars and their budgets will be down for the entire year if the season doesn’t pick up.”
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I think the older Nomads are getting a bit more concerned about the safety also. We have travelled in Winter up North for years and never felt threatened but we are a bit hesitant to continue to do it now.
Like all businesses, there are going to be peaks and troughs. Plan for the troughs during the peaks. No sense in assuming that good times will continue. Structure your business around average normal times.
Plenty of caravans on the road with many after cheaper options than caravan parks, some tourist attractions that Australians should have a right see see free of charge cost fat to much.
Spot on Allan, structure your business for the peaks & the troughs. Simple, in the troughs, lower your prices!!
a lot of the younger travellers are getting tired of the cramped and crowded conditions on the coast and the surge prices that most seem to be charging.
Well don’t go there then and give the rate paying residents a welcome break from your rv stupidity
You sound a bit towie & need a holiday. Hook up your van & go. 🙂
Well said Peter a lot of towns need the tourist dollars and happy to us.
Spot on. After all your in Nomad Territory.
The last time that we travelled through Outback QLD after it had received good rains, the bush flies were in horrific numbers. Weve been camping in the Aussie bush for 50 years & never seen them in such numbers.
We headed home early because of them.
Personally, I’ve stopped visiting my old camping spots because big operators moved in during the early days of Covid and took over the struggling small operators, and then prices rocketed while restrictions on pets, minimum stays, non-returnable deposits etc.got imposed. No surprise now people have a choice again they vote to go elsewhere, short term greed tends to backfire!
Andy, what can I add you’ve nailed it mate!
Totally agree regular travellers have long memories and if they are getting ripped off in some places they will avoid them and pass on the word to fellow travellers.
I think it’s more to do with people choosing to spend the money on their vans to enable more free camping so they are not subjected to the price gouging by caravan parks in popular locations, $60 for an unpowered site in some places is just ridiculous I’d much rather find a lower cost showground or farmstay to park my van on if I’m using my own power & water or even better move on a bit further and stay at a town that values our business and supplies a free 48hr RV camp or low cost option.
Debra, couldn’t agree more. My friends just came back from the west & paid 78$ a night at a caravan park. You’ve got too be joking, 2$ water & 4$ power plus Mgmt fees. Doesn’t add up to 78$ per night!
I’m now paying 252$ a week for emergency accommodation, and I own my van , it’s ridiculous.
We went to WA in the 1980’s and were ripped off then. As much as we would love to go back, and can well afford it, we refuse to be taken advantage of. It’s good to see they are consistent with their high prices.
We havent paid anywhere near that amount in WA. The most we have paid is $48/night.
I just returned from the Queensland Outback and caravan park’s definitely quieter and all locals commenting on the low numbers.
Towns I stated at are Broken Hill, Tibooburra, Thargomindah, Cunnamulla, Quilpie, Charlieville, Blackall, ilfacrombe, Tambo., Mitchell, Miles, Murgon, Dalby, Coonabarabran, Tocumwal
Lots of vans at Dalby heading North and people saying season late this year
I agree Neil. I volunteer at an Info centre up North Qld ,and the tourists have been slow this year ,but starting to pick up now .Most are looking for free or cheap places to stay ,as parks are getting so expensive .Our free park plus Farmstay are always popular .
Many of us can’t afford the high prices that caravan parks charge, so look for other options. There are groups that do good deals down south in the winter, so people take advantage of those offers. Then there’s pub, or showground camping. So many alternatives that make travel easier to finance.
With the closure of camping areas, which I intended to travel to, lawn hill and lorella Springs will have a impact on all small businesses in that area,
I think Lorella Springs closing down this year. Check their Facebook site.
Lawn Hill has basically been washed away during last floods. So it is closed. It is very quiet out West.
Not surprised at all to read of the outback tourist drop offs. I spent a few months out those parts last year only to find huge prices being charged for fuel, caravan parks, mechanics…if you could find any. Those things aside, the risk of property being stolen anywhere between Carnarvon, Pt Hedland. Derby. Fitzroy, Halls Creek, Kununurra, Catherine, Alice Springs, Townsville, etc, etc and the grubbiness of those places doesn’t leave much to get excited about.
Tyr, I commend your observations, we found the same issues, while still concious of Covid, stayed at a Caravan Park on the beach just past Coffs Harbour, where the ammenities weren’t cleaned for 3 days. Disgusting. Still happy to take our 38$ a night!!!
Yes we are full time travellers and have noticed significantly less traffic this season. We are Queenslanders and currently around the Whitsundays and tracking north. I believe the massive increase in fuel prices is mainly responsible also with bargain priced petri dish cruises being offered. However having said that, the number of wizz bangers have definitely increased drammatically.
Having led a very sheltered life I have no idea what a “wizz banger” is, perhaps some kind of outback Qld tradition?
Back packer van
Vans like a Toyota Hiace with a sliding side door. When they slam the sliding door shut,…. Whiz, bang!
Van like for instance a Toyota Hi Ace with a side sliding door. The sound it makes when closing sounds like ‘Wizzz then a bang as it locks’
Just think about the noise made by a sliding door on a van. As it closes you hear “whiiiizzzBANG”
My understanding of a whizz banger is a vehicle a lot of the back packers used to use. They are camper vans whose doors slide backwards are forwards constantly until they finally settle for the night.
It’s the camper van type vehicle, that has a large sliding side door on the side that when opening makes a sliding noise, and shutting goes klunk , hence the Wizz , then the bang as it shuts.
A wiz banger is a small motor home with a sliding side door. When you open or close the door, it goes wiz – bang!
“Wiz banger” is the nickname for those of us who camp in vans with sliding doors, because when the doors are being closed they sound like “whiiizzzBANG”
A van with a sliding door, a popular vehicle to hire with overseas tourists.
Many Grey Nomads who can’t afford expensive rigs own them too.
What is a Whizz Banger?
A wizzbanger is a campervan with a sliding door. Hence each time it is closed it goes ‘wi-i-i-z, bang’. The company Jucy rents them out to backpackers.
Back packer van
Vans like a Toyota Hiace with a sliding side door. When they slam the sliding door shut,…. Whiz, bang!
“Whizz Banger” – campervan with a sliding side door. Bastard things go “whizz-bang” all night!
Caren, it’s the small motor vans often converted to campers, mostly used by backpackers.
It’s a camper van where you slide the doors to open ,but when you slide them to close they go BANG ! I know some caravan parks try to keep those vans up the back of the park .
The Whizz Banger is the horrible little camper van that noisily opens and closes its sliding door every 30 seconds.
I recall a story about a guy who, every time Hans or Heidi whiz banged the door, would press the car alarm button on his key fob. After a while Hans commented that alarm was going off a lot and the guy just smiled and said ‘Yeah? Fancy that’.
A combi van equivalent with a side mounted sliding door. When closed with gusto…’whiz bang!”
Boulia was flooded roads were closed. We all saw it on the national news. Sensationalist journalism does not help.
I agree we were just in Carnarvon and heard that it was the worst town in WA for crime. We found it to be a very friendly town like it always has been and saw no unsavoury behaviour. Carnarvon is suffering due to the media ‘beat up’.
Since they stopped using newspaper to wrap fish and chips in, the papers have become useless for anything, let alone honest news. As far as the T.V. and Radio news goes, I sort of see it as a fill in between the thousands of adds they put on. So I go and see for myself. If I don’t like what I see I keep going. Simple.
What was it like at night please? Did you stay in a caravan park? If so what one? We love Carnarvon but have been wondering if we should this year. Thanks.
We stayed in the Wintersun C/P which is at the south end of town. We had no issue day or night and heard no negative comments around the park from anyone.
The media thrive on alarmism, they are accountable to zero, journalism is simply a certificate of attendance..
There is a few factors causing the slow start to the tourist season. One of which is that the weather stayed warmer for longer this year and definitely delayed the start of the grey migration.
We were in Richmond earlier this year (mid-April / early May) and were still using the swimming pool. Many grey nomads are very temperature sensitive.
As a ratepaying fulltime resident of a small coastal Queensland town (Woodgate) I am absolutely sick and tired of deadbeats in their caravans, ‘rv’s etc that infest our town…..they add absolutely nothing at all to the lifestyle of us residents – in fact they detract from the environment that we pay for. The worst ones are those that camp for weeks/months in the front/backyards of residential zoned properties.
Rainbow Beach is worse….
You don’t think they might be locals who have been forced out of their homes and are on the streets.
That’s good. Less crowds to fight through.
I agree, when we were in Longreach & Winton it was so crowded last year that we commented that we would be glad when the ‘occasional’ travellers go back to cruising or flying overseas. Sounds selfish I know but we prefer travelling in the outback when its no so busy.
I totally agree, last year was so crowded out there in the outback. Not in a hurry to go back.
There has been big numbers of southern state visitors that have now moved up to Qld permanently. They used to be seasonal caravanners and now just do short trips while the enjoy their new homes. This will drop numbers travelling north.
We have always preferred to free camp, but with the last bus conversion I recently completed, I spent a heap of money installing a huge solar system and water and waste storage so I never have to enter a caravan park ever again. In the last year on the road, we have spent only $20 on camping fees, and that was only because it made it convenient to visit my sister.
We are in southern Queensland now and I was pleasantly surprised to find all free camps with plenty of room, and sometimes we are the only ones there. If that is translating to caravan park occupancy rates, especially on the coast, the tourism sector is in for a bleak dry season
That is the answer. I built our motorhome and put in large waste water tanks along with large freshwater tanks. We have fee camped for 2 weeks before moving on and still have a good 2 weeks before needing to replenish. The only thing we have ever left behind is tire tracks. Our rubbish and waist goes with us until we can dispose of it properly. It is a pity that more people didn’t do this.
Due to the problems with escalating crime in outback towns like Alice Springs, and even Darwin, travel to the Outback in general has become too dangerous.
Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Hell’s Creek and Fitzroy Crossing are off limits if you value your safety, booze, violence, out of control crime, it’s not safe to drive thru those towns let alone stay. Caravans broken into, violence against travellers, robber in broad daylight, it’s easy to accept that Mad Max was a documentary!!!
Maybe it’s time the vanlifers were given a bit more support.
Everyone needs fuel and supplies,
They don’t necessarily have to have a $100,000 rig.
it is notable that some parochial RV detractors voicing their objections to travellers visiting their communities take time to seek out and read this publication!
Still a lot but commented that so far this significantly less
Its cheaper to go overseas than to get ripped off by Greedy caravan park owners
Caravanning is no longer a relaxed way to travel, if you don’t book ahead most of the time you will be disappointed and if you did book ahead you will be ripped off for park fees. $80+/night on the West Coast during the season to stay in old run down parks
Thanks to those towns offering free or low cost 72 hour camping! This encourages us to use the pub/supermarket/bakery in town as well as visit local attractions. 20 or 24 hour stays means we cook at our van, don’t spend money in town and don’t have time to have a proper look around. Towns that have provided 72 hour stays will find that they will benefit from nomad money!
Well, caravan parks have increased the price by 600% over 8 years. Inflation was not 600% . I avoid parks that are ever so greedy
And the Queensland Govt have discussed plans to introduce a “ tourist tax “ on caravan park sites within their current term, sources suggest a $15-17/night tax will apply to interstate travellers…
I think a lot of businesses in the last couple of years tried to recoup all the money they lost by overcharging those of us who did travel domestically. We had one caravan park on the coast tried to charge over $100 a night for a very small caravan site, I have since been told that is not the worst. Many places were also very overcrowded.
I have just retired in WA and planned to tour the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of WA for several months. Unfortunately with the unchecked youth crime seemingly getting worse every month, this has completely discouraged us from staying in north west towns in both the Pilbara and Kimberley and also the Northern Territory. With the stories I hear in Grey Nomad circles, I will be limiting my travels to safe areas of the south west of WA, farm stays in more remote areas and Tasmania and Victoria. Until governments recognize that law and order issues in the Pilbara and Kimberley of WA are discouraging tourism and do something about it, my money will be staying closer to home where I feel safe!
Sounds like a catch 22 situation, we travelled throughout outback QLD during the pandemic and the amount of places closed and tourist destination that weren’t operating was incredible , and now the borders are open and people are heading back overseas they complain no one is coming, you can’t have it both ways and need to take the good with the bad.
We are currently in Townsville from hobart.
The cost of getting on that ferry to even get to Geelong is a killer with the caravan!
Then there’s the fuel!
We free camped as often as possible just to get here.
A Sunshine Coast park wanted $72 for a night for an unpowered site…tell em their dreaming!!!
I just dont feel safe any more in the outback. The drunk locals and their feral children are much more threatening than a couple of years ago.
Apart from the locals the standard of people on the road has dropped, bogans arguing drinking and loud music around camp sites make it unpleasant. Seems camp etiquette has gone.
This combined with the increased costs on the road make it far less attractive than a couple of years ago.
I’m sure all these places moaning about numbers dropping were not moaning when they upped their prices when they had the captive audience,.