New visitor data reveals the strength of tourism in the Bundaberg Region, with high-value holiday visitors and rising international spend across the Southern Great Barrier Reef.
Tourism has delivered a powerful $430.2 million boost to Bundaberg Region’s economy, with new data showing domestic overnight visitors made 751,000 trips and stayed 2.30 million nights in the year ending June 2026.
The results underline the important role visitors play in supporting local accommodation, cafes and restaurants, tours, attractions, retailers and transport providers across the region.
The momentum extends across the Southern Great Barrier Reef, where domestic overnight visitors generated almost $1.36 billion in expenditure from 1.91 million trips and 6.25 million visitor nights.
International visitors are also delivering greater value, with expenditure across the Southern Great Barrier Reef jumping 15.7 per cent to $142.2 million. In Bundaberg, international holiday visitor numbers edged up 0.6 per cent, a positive result in a softer international market.
Bundaberg Tourism CEO Duncan Littler said the figures showed why the visitor economy matters to businesses and communities across the region.
“More than $430 million flowing through Bundaberg’s visitor economy is a result worth celebrating,” Mr Littler said.
“That spending reaches well beyond traditional tourism businesses. It supports local jobs and creates opportunities for accommodation providers, cafes, restaurants, tours, attractions, retailers and many other businesses our visitors enjoy.”
“Across the Southern Great Barrier Reef, domestic visitor expenditure reached almost $1.36 billion and international expenditure surged 15.7 per cent. That is a strong signal of the value and potential of our destination.”
Bundaberg’s holiday market was a standout for visitor value. Domestic holiday visitors spent approximately $759 per trip and $228 per night, compared with an average of $573 per trip across all domestic overnight visitors.
Mr Littler said the next opportunity was to turn that spending strength into more bookings, longer stays and greater dispersal across the region.
“Bundaberg has the ingredients visitors are looking for: extraordinary nature, iconic wildlife encounters, outstanding food and drink, authentic regional experiences and easy access to the Southern Great Barrier Reef,” Mr Littler said.
“Our job now is to connect those experiences, give visitors even more reasons to stay another night, and help them discover more local businesses while they are here.”
“The foundations are strong. With confident marketing, more bookable experiences and close industry partnerships, we can build on this momentum and generate even greater value for our region.”
Visitor economy snapshot
- Bundaberg Region domestic overnight expenditure: $430.2 million.
- Bundaberg Region domestic overnight trips: 751,000.
- Bundaberg Region domestic visitor nights: 2.30 million.
- Southern Great Barrier Reef domestic overnight expenditure: almost $1.36 billion.
- Southern Great Barrier Reef international expenditure: $142.2 million, up 15.7 per cent.
- Bundaberg Region international holiday visitors: up 0.6 per cent.
- Bundaberg Region domestic holiday visitor spend: approximately $759 per trip and $228 per night.
