Tourism
Located in northern Queensland, halfway between Brisbane and Cairns, Mackay is a relaxed tropical paradise. Adventure seekers are greeted with unspoilt natural attractions from lush rainforests, abundant national parks and refreshing gorges to the Great Barrier Reef, numerous tropical islands and pristine beaches.
The region is blessed with a unique wildlife, world-class fishing, Australia’s longest subtropical stretch of rainforest, 31 pure beaches, exhilarating events all year round, inspiring art and culture and untouched nature waiting to be explored.
Warm tropical summers and mild sunny winters make Mackay an ideal destination for those wanting to explore the outdoors all year round.
Hero experiences include Eungella and Cape Hillsborough national parks featuring world-class platypus viewing and the sunrise with the wallabies experience.
Opportunities
Our growing tourism market will present many opportunities for the advancement of tourism initiatives.
With the completion of construction of Stage 1 of the Pioneer Valley Mountain Bike Trails in 2023, the region is positioning itself as a world-class national and international tourist destination. Stage 2 of the project comprises of an additional 80km of trails and is anticipated to be constructed in 2024/2025, pending agency approvals and availability of funding. The mountain bike project presents a variety of opportunities for commercial operators. The project is expected to generate an additional regional annual spend of $18 million. To find out more, check out the Pioneer Valley Mountain Bike Trails Investment Prospectus.
The region’s first Recreational Fishing Strategy was developed in 2017 with the aim for the Mackay region to become one of Australia’s premier recreational fishing destinations, renowned for offering superb fishing 365 days of the year. Implementation of the strategy has resulted in major infrastructure upgrades, activation of marketing campaigns, management of ecology and fisheries and the roll out of business development initiatives for the industry. One of the very successful consumer-facing initiatives that was launched is the Hooked on Mackay brand. The sector provides further opportunities for product development and private investment.
Another focus has been given to the growing recreational vehicle market. In 2023 Mackay Regional Council developed the Mackay Region Recreational Vehicle (RV) Strategy. The aim of the strategy is to attract a greater share of the RV market and encourage more investment across the full range of stay options, including no/low-cost options through to commercial holiday park sites. The strategy identified several actions that will improve the quality of their stay and ultimately increase RV traveller visitation and their length of stay. Opportunities exist for private investment in the provision of new sites as well as value adding product development.