As the Queensland school holidays come to a close here in The Whitsundays, it's been a busy couple of weeks in the region.
With accommodation averaging around 70 per cent occupancy and hitting 90 per cent during peak times, it's clear that families have made the most of their holiday breaks.
About 80 per cent of our visitors were fellow Queenslanders, with the majority of our visitors from Mackay, Brisbane, Townsville and the Gold Coast.
In addition, we've also welcomed four cruise ships, with a total of 13,000 passengers onboard ready to explore everything the Whitsundays have to offer.
Roughly 8,600 of those have come onshore adding an extra buzz to our already lively scene, not only for our bars and restaurants but also our retail outlets and beauty services.
The weather has really turned it on in the last week or so, with the humidity taking a dip and that crisp winter air settling in which has made exploring even more enjoyable.
Now that we're heading into winter, the return of the whales will be the next exciting thing to keep an eye out for!
It's clear that The Whitsundays has a special place in the hearts of everyone who comes to visit.
Weeks like these continue to cement our reputation as one of Queensland's ultimate holiday hotspots, and we're looking forward to another week of school holidays and the welcome growth of international visitors.
Contributed with thanks to CEO of Tourism Whitsundays, Rick Hamilton.
Rick Hamilton, CEO Tourism Whitsunday, Photo supplied
