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The Spring school holidays have helped set a new monthly record at Townsville Airport, as the busiest September in 15 years.
A total of 147,966 passengers travelled through the terminal throughout the month, just short of the all-time September record by 131 passengers.
It’s estimated a further 46,000 passengers have passed through since the beginning of October.
Chief Operating Officer Marion Charlton said school holidays, major sporting events in Melbourne and Sydney and the Kings Birthday long weekend all contributed to the boost in travel demand.
"Our data shows a clear uptick in passenger numbers even a few days before the holidays began, and they remained consistent throughout, with most days averaging more than 5,000 passengers,
“The busiest day of the month was Thursday, 25 September, in the middle of the Queensland school holidays, with over 5,900 passengers passing through the terminal.
“This year started off a bit slow for tourism with severe weather across much of the state, so it’s great to see how travel demand has bounced back, particularly through the school holidays.
Townsville Enterprise Director of Visitor Economy and Marketing Lisa Woolfe said “Townsville North Queensland had a bumper September school holiday period, with hotel occupancy peaking at more than 91% and visitor spending up over 10%.”
“Our tourism marketing is clearly working - we’re turning awareness into action, and it was fantastic to see families choosing Townsville North Queensland for their school holidays.”
“With NAFA and the WNBL Townsville Tip-Off both also in full swing, the city was buzzing with activity and energy right across the region.”
“It is positive to see a continued growth in our tourism sector and helps support the more than 9,000 local jobs right across the visitor economy.”
More than 1.2 million passengers have travelled through the airport since the beginning of the year.
