Tourism numbers in the Whitsundays plunge 33% in just 2 years

Whitsundays Online
UPDATED 9am Friday 18 Sep 2009

Tourist numbers to the Whitsundays have plunged 1/3 since July 2007.

According to the National Visitor Survey, tourist numbers to the Whitsundays during the Financial Year of 2008-9 fell 19% on the previous year.

However, not many realize that in the previous Financial year of 2007-8, visitors to our region also plunged 17% on the 2006-7 numbers.

That means only 67% of visitors in 2008-9 compared to 2006-7, or a massive 33% loss of tourism visitors and business.

Last year, Tourism Whitsundays blamed the weather at the beginning of *2008 for the bad figures, yet Danielle Seymour of Tourism Whitsundays said "things were looking good for this (2008-9) year's summer rush." (*editor - no rain records were broken during that period).

This year, Peter O'Reilly (CEO of Tourism Whitsundays), says a survey which also counts the drive market will be rolled out over the next four to six months.

"How many people are driving, say, from Cairns to the Whitsundays and flying out? There's a lot of that information that we don't have," he said. (editor - me thinks not many when it costs around an extra $3-400 for a one way car rental to Airlie Beach due to the relocation/recovery fees).

Our local RTO, Tourism Whitsundays, in the past 12 months, has seen a massive fraud, arrest and conviction of one of its Managers; been shown to make poor planning decisions, and now, the biggest plunge in tourism numbers, ever.

I wonder if the arrow on the tacky billboard on Shute Harbour Road at Flametree will be adjusted, downwards?

Some of Tourism Whitsundays Directors have applied for re-election this coming Thursday - they are:

Chris Jacobs - Cruise Whitsundays
Nicole Graham - Sundowner Cruises
David Stielow - Cruise Indigo

Others have decided not to continue on the Board all together. They are:

Susan Boyd - Infront Communications
John Bush - Beaches Backpackers
Andrew Parle - Tourism Queensland

Members of the board who are not up for re-election, and have not resigned, are:

Lyn Gregson - Adelyn Retail** - Chairperson (LATE NEWS - according to 24 Sept 2009 Whitsunday Times, Lyn Gregson will be resigning tonight at the TW AGM).
Al Grundy - Southern Cross Sailing
Jeff Aquilina - Coral Sea Resort - Treasurer
Adrian Bram - Oz Adventure Sailing
John Nayler - Telstra / channelwhitsunday.com
Jan Clifford - Whitsunday Council

Jim Sherington, the General Manager of the Whitsunday Times, is still a director of Tourism Whitsundays, (according to the Tourism Whitsundays website) however he has advised that he resigned several months ago. Apparently, the TW website is out of date.

Why the Treasurer hasn't resigned after the fraud within Tourism Whitsundays was uncovered is not known. This is another good example of how the Directors of Tourism Whitsundays refuse to take responsibility for problems, but quite happy to take the credit for the few successes.

** Adelyn Retail are these shops:
Ridgy Didge Australiana - Airlie Beach
Beachworx - Airlie Beach
Jewl - Airlie Beach
Moochas Boutique - Cannonvale
Swim Swim Swim - Airlie Beach
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Sourced from ABC News | Courier Mail - Torny Jensen | Whitsunday Times
Has the World's Best Job campaign been succesful for the Whitsundays? 25 Apr 2009 Whitsundays Online.