THREE records have been smashed at the Bowen information centre.
Bowen Tourism and Business is celebrating after having the biggest day, biggest month and biggest year on record.
A total of 6,763 people visited the Visitor Information Centre, next to the Big Mango, in June, with a further 1,124 travellers welcomed at the information booth, at Bowen’s Front Beach.
This takes the total number of visitors at the information centre and booth in the 2022/23 financial year to a whopping 47,812 people – smashing the previous record of 42,945 two years ago, by more than 11 per cent.
One of the highlights of the year was on June 28 when the Visitor Information Centre alone welcomed more than 512 visitors in one day – smashing the previous daily record of 439, from September 2020.
Bowen Tourism and Business chair Jenn Honnery said this result was fantastic and meant that the organisation had not only reached pre-covid levels but had fully recovered and continued to grow since the pandemic.
“Our presence online, on TV, radio and in print, regionally and nationally, has been strong in the past two years and we are now reaping the benefits,” she said.
“The campaign around the Big Mango’s 21st birthday, in May, reached more than four million people and this was just the icing on the cake.”
Mrs Honnery said the biggest increase was in international visitors, year on year.
“We welcomed more than 3,600 international visitors to Bowen in the past 12 months, compared to just 664 the year prior,” she said.
“We have also recorded an increase in the number of day visitors to Bowen – about 34 per cent compared to 22 per cent in previous years.
Whitsundays Mayor Julie Hall said Bowen had always been a destination that captured the hearts of travellers from around the globe.
“From our stunning beaches and the iconic Horseshoe Bay, to the breathtaking views from Flagstaff Hill, Bowen offers a unique experience, so it is no surprise that more tourists are choosing to explore our little slice of paradise,” she said.
“The record visitor numbers at the Visitor Information Centre are not simply a reflection of our region’s natural wonders, but a testament to the exceptional efforts of the team at Bowen VIC and their tireless work and innovative ideas.”
Bowen Tourism and Business manager Leanne Abernethy said the team’s marketing plans had obviously made an impact nationally and she was proud of the staff’s efforts of the staff and very valuable volunteers, who welcomed every visitor with a smile.
The number of delicious mango sorbets sold at the two centres also broke previous records.
“More than 23,000 people tasted one of our delicious treats in the past financial year, meaning almost every second person who walked into the centre bought a sorbet,” Ms Abernethy said.
