THE BOWEN Visitor Information Centre, next to the iconic Big Mango, continues to attract record numbers of visitors.
Bowen Tourism and Business (BTB) manager Leanne Abernethy said the organisation had welcomed a record number, in the past financial year, and then more records had been broken in recent months.
The not-for-profit organisation operates the Bowen Visitor Information Centre next to the Big Mango and the information booth, at Bowen’s Front Beach.
More than 51,000 people called in at the centre in 2023/24 plus a further 5,100 at the Front Beach information booth.
The team of dedicated staff and volunteers then welcomed 19,555 in the three months ending September 30 – and that equates to 212 people per day.
The recent Whitsunday Tourism Awards really topped off an excellent year for the organisation, when Bowen Tourism and Business won the award for Excellence in Customer Service and Gold in the Visitor Services Category – moving them into the Hall of Fame.
Ms Abernethy said November would be very busy for the staff, with representatives attending the Queensland Tourism Awards, in Brisbane, and then the Queensland Visitor Centre’s Association (QICA) conference, in Kingaroy.
BTB chair Jenn Honnery said these awards, along with Silver for the organisation’s dedicated volunteers, was a testament to the dedication of the entire team.
She said all the staff and volunteers encouraged every visitor at the centre to take the detour, just 5km off the highway, to visit Bowen and check out the beautiful beaches, the bushwalks, lookouts, murals and other attractions.
“Almost 60 per cent of our centre’s visitors, so far in this financial year, have visited Bowen for the day or stayed at least one night,” Mrs Honnery said.
“This is testament to the great job our team do, in encouraging that trip into town.
“We have invested heavily in destination marketing, in the past 12 months, and we are now seeing the results, providing an economic boost for the region.”
Before that, the organisation’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held at the Bowen Visitor Information Centre, on Thursday, November 7, followed by a networking event.
Mrs Honnery said the committee had decided to host the event at the Big Mango to showcase the expanded range of merchandise and services offered at the centre.
“At the Annual General Meeting, we will highlight the achievements of the past 12 months and introduce four new committee members,” she said.
“The networking function will be an opportunity to celebrate our success and for members to exchange ideas.”
Bowen Tourism and Business has more than 200 members with many being from outside the tourism sector, as the organisation believes that ‘Tourism is Everybody’s Business’.
PHOTO: Bowen Tourism and Business team members Cindy Tonks, Leanne Abernethy and Glenn Womal.
AGM AND NETWORKING
When: November 7 from 6pm
Where: Bowen Visitor Information centre next to the Big Mango
RSVP to info@tourismbowen.com.au.
