Mackay Regional Council has released an online survey to help identify and prioritise key actions to increase the region’s appeal to the growing recreational vehicle (RV) market.
Mackay Regional Council Mayor, Greg Williamson, said camping and caravanning are an important part of the outdoor recreation experience for locals.
“The self-drive camping and caravanning market has a significant role to play in the region’s tourism product with outdoor recreation opportunities like camping, fishing, cycling and other related activities experiencing substantial growth annually,” Mayor Williamson said.
“We want to capitalise on this growth and ensure we are taking the right steps to plan for our future in regard to the RV industry.”
According to statistics from the Caravan Industry Association of Australia, as of June 2022, there were nearly 800,000 registered RVs in Australia and over 150,000 on the roads at any one time.
Since the impact of COVID, the self-drive tourism market continues to strengthen and increase, with “van-life” and caravanning starting appealing to a wider demographic.
The Mackay region already offers a mixture of self-drive destinations and an established range of caravan and camping sites.
Mayor Williamson said the region had a strong self-drive market presence, demonstrated by the annual winter “migration” of retired travellers and a growing regional market looking for short-break destinations.
“To ensure this strategy hits the mark, we need to hear ideas and feedback from existing caravan and campground operators, tourism-related businesses, residents as well as tourists,” Mayor Williamson said.
The survey closes at midnight on Wednesday, 8 February 2023, and can be found on Council’s dedicated community engagement website, connectingmackay.com.au.
