Scenic Rim well placed to become leading nature-based tourism destination

Cover image from the Scenic Rim Nature-based Tourism Strategy 2023-2032 featuring the view from Mount Maroon. Photo credit: Lachlan Gardiner.

The Scenic Rim is well placed to become Queensland’s leading destination for nature-based tourism following Council’s adoption at its Ordinary Meeting today of a strategy to ensure the region’s natural beauty is protected for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.

The Scenic Rim Nature-based Tourism Strategy 2023-2032 has been developed with support from the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund Community Investments Stream Round 3, with funding matched by Council, and aims to capitalise on the region’s opportunities for adventure and nature-based tourism.

Mayor Greg Christensen said the strategy provided a strong foundation to build on the Scenic Rim’s nature-based tourism offerings while ensuring the sustainability of the region’s economy and lifestyle.

“This goes beyond attracting more visitors to the Scenic Rim – it is about the quality of their experience and improving opportunities for lengthier stays across the region year-round,” he said.

“The Scenic Rim already provides immersive and enriching experiences for visitors in our spectacular natural environment close to the growing urban centres of Brisbane, Ipswich and the Gold Coast.

“This strategy will build on that, unlocking greater value for our local economy.

“We recognise the negative impacts that excessive tourism can have on communities and natural areas but sustainable tourism will benefit our Scenic Rim communities and provide the best possible experiences for visitors to our region.”

The strategy is aligned with the Scenic Rim Regional Prosperity Strategy 2020-2025 as well as Tourism and Events Queensland’s Nature-based Tourism Strategy 2021-2024 and the Brisbane Economic Development Agency's Visitor Economy Plan 2031.

It was developed following a comprehensive review of the region's nature-based tourism operators, a gap assessment of nature-based tourism in the Scenic Rim and a workshop with the Scenic Rim Adventure Tourism Reference Group in 2019. This was followed by an analysis of visitor data, a further stakeholder workshop in December 2020 and community consultation in June 2021.

Research revealed that the Scenic Rim could build a stronger and more sustainable tourism industry by tapping into the demand by visitors for experiences that connect them with the natural environment, people and cultures.

Economic modelling has shown that delivery of the strategy could attract 285,000 visitors to participate in nature-based experiences, generating an additional 221,000 visitor nights, $40 million in visitor expenditure and creating more than 160 new jobs in the region by 30 June 2031.

While the Scenic Rim's tourism economy relies heavily on the domestic drive markets from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, bolstered by visiting friends and relatives from these major centres, the increased demand for nature-based experiences due to COVID-19 has boosted the number of domestic overnight visitors to Queensland.

“This strategy capitalises on that increased demand and focuses on increasing the commercial yield from our visitors, rather than increasing visitor numbers,” Mayor Christensen said.

“Council is grateful for the support of the Australian Government and to those who contributed to the development of the strategy.

“This includes Destination Scenic Rim the Local Tourism Organisation, Chambers of Commerce, local industry leaders and representatives from the region's key economic sectors: the Scenic Rim Tourism Advisory Committee; Brisbane Economic Development Agency; Tourism and Events Queensland; Ecotourism Australia; the Department of Environment and Science; the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport; Seqwater and the Scenic Rim Adventure Tourism Reference Group.”