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THE number of overnight visitors on the Gold Coast is on the rise, with overnight arrivals from Sydney surging 25 per cent in the past year.
The National Visitor Survey results released today by Tourism Research Australia indicate that the city welcomed 337,000 more domestic overnight visitors and 1.1 million more day-trippers in the year ending 31 March 2016.
"We are pleased to see evidence of the continued success of the Australian holiday market," says Winter. "It is critical for the Gold Coast's visitor economy."
While the Gold Coast has seen significant international growth, Australians still account for 80 per cent of overnight visitors to the Gold Coast and 71 per cent of overnight visitor expenditure.
Of the 3.7 million domestic overnight visitors to the Gold Coast, two million were holiday makers representing an 8 percent increase on the previous 12 months. There were also 18 per cent more daytrips to the Gold Coast, reaching 8.3 million.
Overnight arrivals from Brisbane, the Gold Coast's largest market, were 8 per cent higher, reaching 1.3 million. The second largest market, Sydney, also returned to growth registering a 25 percent increase to 635,000.
"The cruise industry and the larger number of Australians travelling abroad impacted on the domestic holiday market for all Australian destinations in recent years," says Winter.
"Today's results signal a return of the great Australian holiday; we believe there's no better place to take a holiday than on the Gold Coast."
The Gold Coast was recently named in the 2016 TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Awards as Australia's most popular holiday destination - second only to Sydney.
"While our beaches have drawn Australians to our cities for decades, it's our iconic coastal lifestyle, emerging food scene, stunning natural landscapes and diverse range of attractions which are providing Australians even more reasons to return to the Gold Coast," says Winter.
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