The Whitsunday Islands

visitors spent more than AU$1 billion each year in the last three years at the Whitsunday Islands.

• AU$835.7 million was spent by visitors in the pre-pandemic year 2018-19.
• Visitors spending declined to AU$637 million in 2019-20, marking a 23.8% decrease from the 2018-19 figure.
• The Whitsundays delivered a record AU$1.36 billion in visitor spending in 2021-22.
• Visitor spending rose by 14.7% to AU$1.56 billion in 2022-23.
• Visitor spending followed the increasing trend and reached AU$1.59 billion in 2023-24.

How much did visitors spend in the Whitsunday Islands in 2024-25?

• International visitors spent AU$254 million in 2024-25, a 38% increase from AU$184.1 million in 2023-24.
• Domestic visitors spent AU$407.5 million from January 2025 to June 2025.

Note: Only six months of domestic visitor spending data (Jan–Jun 2025) is available for the Whitsundays due to Tourism Research Australia's new DoTS methodology introduced in 2025.

How much did visitors spend in the Whitsunday Islands in 2023-24?

• Visitors spent AU$1.59 billion in 2023-24, marking a 1.9% increase from the previous financial year, and an 89.3% increase from the pre-pandemic year 2018-19.

How much did visitors spend in the Whitsunday Islands in 2022-23?

• A total AU$1.56 billion of visitor spending was recorded in the Whitsundays in 2022-23, marking a 14.7% increase from the previous financial year and an 85.7% increase from pre-pandemic year 2018-19.

The majority of international tourists visited the Whitsunday Islands for spending their holidays in 2024-25.

• 163,000 tourists (95.3% of total) were holiday visitors that year.
• The remaining 8,000 (4.7%) tourists visited Whitsunday for other reasons.

• Whitehaven beach in Whitsunday was rated the #1 Beach in the World in TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards for 2021.
• Lonely Planet (in a ranking released for 2025) again crowned Whitehaven Beach the "Best Beach on Earth" for 2025.
• The region's main base, Airlie Beach, was recognized as Queensland's Top Small Tourism Town for three years running (2021, 2022, 2023).

• Whitehaven Beach: A stunning stretch of pure white silica sand and crystal-clear turquoise waters. Over 75,000 visitors set foot on Whitehaven Beach each year.
• Great Barrier Reef: The world's largest coral reef system, teeming with vibrant marine life and colorful corals. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park receives nearly 900,000 visitor visits per year.
• Hill Inlet Lookout: A scenic viewpoint where swirling tides create breathtaking patterns of white sand and blue water. Virtually every tour to Whitehaven also brings visitors up to the lookout.
• Hook Island Reefs: A paradise for snorkeling and diving, with rich coral gardens and diverse sea creatures. It's nicknamed "the Aquarium" by local guides for its abundant fish life.
• Hamilton Island's Lookouts & Trails: Scenic trails lead to panoramic island views, perfect for hiking and exploring nature. Hamilton's airport alone handles over 350,000 arrivals per year.