Bundaberg Tourism is delighted with the news that Australia’s newest low-cost airline has received regulatory approval to commence their direct Bundaberg to Melbourne route with low-cost fares.
Sharing the Bundaberg Regional Airport runway with QantasLink and Link Airways, Bonza will offer direct routes twice a week, opening up the region to one of the region’s most promising markets and making access to the Bundaberg and Southern Great Barrier Reef region’s extraordinary tourism offerings easier to access than ever for Victorians.
Tourism in the Bundaberg Region has boomed over the past three years with visitor expenditure an increasingly significant economic driver for the region.
According to Bundaberg Tourism’s data sources, visitor numbers to the region in 2022 exceeded previous records, and Victorians are a steadily increasing proportion of these visitors.
Bundaberg Tourism Marketing Manager Ellie Tonkin said, “Tourism has always been a significant economic driver for the Bundaberg region, and the boom we have experienced since COVID has further increased the impacts of this important industry.”
“Bonza’s direct flights from Melbourne make it infinitely easier for Victorians to get to our region, and we have definitely seen a large increase in the numbers of Victorians visiting compared to 2019.”
“Though South East Queensland residents remain by far Bundaberg’s largest fan base, Victoria is our second largest interstate market and in 2022 visitation from there more than doubled compared to 2019.”
“Bundaberg Tourism undertook a major marketing campaign at the end of 2021 to mark the launch of Lady Musgrave Experience’s new pontoon, which gained enormous attention in Melbourne.”
“Since then, we’ve been seeing Victorian consumers to the Bundaberg destination website nearly double across 2022, and Melbourne audiences are heavy followers on Instagram, which shows us that interest and intent to visit the Bundaberg region is growing rapidly with this market.”
“For many years, Bundaberg has been quietly achieving great things and the rest of the nation has now noticed the internationally lauded experiences this region offers. Nowhere else offers the Great Barrier Reef, two of the nation’s biggest drink brands, and some of Australia’s most awarded visitor attractions.”
“We look forward to welcoming more Victorian guests with Bonza in the coming years.”
About Bundaberg Tourism
Originally established in 1971 as a regional tourism and economic development body, today Bundaberg Region Ltd.’s key priority areas are focused on driving visitation to the destination and supporting business development as we strive to build and maintain a healthy and sustainable regional tourism economy.
Trading as Bundaberg Tourism, the destination management organisation operates as a not-for-profit, working closely with key industry stakeholders as well as local and state government and Tourism & Events Queensland, to build destination awareness through a targeted program of marketing, publicity, visitor services, product and experience development.
For media information please contact:
Ellie Tonkin
Acting CEO, Bundaberg Tourism
0400 432 366
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