The caravan parks boom is continuing on the Sunshine Coast, where sites are booked out a year in advance amid increasing demand.
Tourists, holidaymakers and even locals have crammed into caravan parks around the region during these summer holidays, embracing the opportunity to stay at scenic spots at relatively affordable prices.
Many of the parks are in prime positions by beaches, where visitors can relax at a fraction of the price it would cost them to stay at coastal hotels and resorts.
There are more than 30 holiday parks in the Sunshine Coast and Noosa council areas.
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Six of them are owned by Sunshine Coast Council, operated by Sunshine Coast Holiday Parks. Among them is the largest caravan park in the state, Cotton Tree Holiday Park, where people have been camping since the 1880s.
A council spokesperson said almost 128,000 visitors had stayed at Sunshine Coast Holidays Parks during 2023.
“This has increased from 119,000 in 2022 as more people look to experience our wonderful environment,” they said.
“Our holiday parks are in demand as they are set in iconic locations.
“They offer the opportunity to catch up with friends and family in a safe environment with plenty of open space and easy beach access.”
The parks are packed during holidays and they’re also becoming more popular at other times of the year.
“Sunshine Coast Holiday Parks have experienced very high demand over the past two to three years, with sites often booked out a year in advance over peak periods,” the spokesperson said.
“There has also been a lift in demand for sites over shoulder and off-peak times, but general availability exists through these times across the network.”
More than 8200 people are expected to stay at the six parks during these summer holidays.
“This number is pretty consistent (year on year) due to the finite capacity of the parks,” the spokesperson said.
The influx of people to caravan parks provides a significant boost to the Sunshine Coast.
“Tourism Australia estimates that each domestic visitor to a region spends on average $95 per day, so all tourists are valuable to the Sunshine Coast,” the spokesperson said.
“With almost 128,000 visitors to the six Sunshine Coast Holiday Parks in 2023, the benefit to the local economy for the year would be more than $12 million.”
Sunshine Coast Holiday Parks park manager Jason Filippini said there was growing interest in caravan parks in recent years.
“There has been a massive increase (in demand) due to a change in culture since post-COVID, and more people having camping products,” he said.
“Demand is always high during peak seasons … and some parks are difficult to get into (during shoulder and off-peak times) as weekends book out quite quickly.”
He said the Sunshine Coast was a leading destination.
“The proximity to Brisbane and the beautiful untouched natural beaches is appealing to all,” he said.
Mr Filippini also said visitors provided a crucial financial injection to the Sunshine Coast.
“The parks are a major influence in economic growth within the region,” he said.
“Generally, tourists and holidaymakers spend more in the local economy than locals. We rely on the tourists: we are tourist-based economy on the Sunshine Coast.”
Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Matt Stoeckel said the region was a hub for the tourist and travel industry.
“On the Sunny Coast, we get more than our fair share of the $2.3b that caravanners and campers spend each year in Queensland,” he said.
“Our popularity comes down to having so many different places to stay – with more than 30 caravan parks dotted across the region.
“Some of our caravan parks truly have locations to die for, including the (Sunshine Coast and Noosa)-council operated ones in Cotton Tree, Coolum, Dicky Beach, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba and Noosa North Shore that are practically on the beach, and you can almost catch a fish from your tent.
“And many of our privately operated caravan parks have resort-like facilities and are seen as destinations in their own right.
“The BIG4 Caloundra, with its fancy new pool complete with waterslides, is a great example, as is Habitat Noosa, tucked away in the Noosa Everglades. It’s about as close to paradise as you can get.”
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