Spanning from Caloundra to Noosa on Queensland’s coastline, the Sunshine Coast sits between the Glasshouse Maintains and the Inskip Peninsula, offering guests the opportunity to experience both the rainforest and the sea.
The region is well known for its natural beauty, with over 100 kilometres of well-maintained coastline, and 10 protected national parks. Visitors are attracted to the area’s sub-tropical climate and year-round warmth, as well as the many shopping opportunities in the cities and hinterland villages, and the huge health and wellbeing scene in the area. Guests enjoy water activities such as swimming, fishing, surfing and boating, as well as on-land activities such as hiking, cycling, picnicking, and attending the numerous events held in the region each year. These activities are spread throughout the many popular tourist sub-regions of the Sunshine Coast, including Gympie Cooloola, Noosa, Coolum, Caloundra, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, and the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
The region aims to be internationally recognised as the country’s leading area for relaxed coastal and hinterland breaks by the year 2020. Tourism currently contributes approximately $2.7 billion to the regional economy each year, with this number set to rise significantly in the future.
The Sunshine Coast has a range of accommodation options to suit various demographics, including hotels, luxury resorts, backpacker hostels, serviced apartments, and holiday parks. The region experiences approximately 6,607,813 domestic visitor nights per year, as well as 1,256,667 international visitor nights, with guests typically travelling to the area from countries such as New Zealand, Britain and the United states. With so many guests staying in the region, the Sunshine Coast is home to a total of 1,572 accommodation options and food services, employing a considerable 9.1 percent of the 341,054 people who call the Sunshine Coast home.
Interstate domestic visitors can travel to the area via the Sunshine Coast Airport, which also offers seasonal flights from New Zealand. International visitors can currently access the Sunshine Coast via the Gold Coast International Airport and drive to the region, but with so much international interest in the area, the Federal Government has approved a $181 million concessional loan for a new runway and terminal at Sunshine Coast Airport, allowing a $347 million international airport to be built over the next four years.