Located an hour and a half west of Brisbane, and nestled on the edge of the Great Dividing Range, Toowoomba is known for its beautiful parks and gardens, views of the Lockyer Valley, and its rich history.
Guests travel to the region to experience a piece of the southern Queensland countryside, and enjoy the local produce, wines and the area’s distinctive seasons. Known for its cool winters, bright autumn colours and warm spring and summer months, each season offers visitors a unique experience of local culture and natural splendour.
The region has a great arts and culture scene, with visitors frequenting the Met Galleries, First Coat Outdoor Gallery, the Empire Theatre, and museums such as the Cobb+Co Museum, DownsSteam Tourist Railway and Museum, and the Milne Bay Military Museum.
Toowoomba also lives up to its name as Queensland’s ‘Garden City’, with a range of beautifully curated and up-kept parks and gardens, including Queens Park, Laurel Bank Park, and the Japanese Gardens. Visitors also enjoy the many natural sites and national park areas, such as The Palms National Park, Table Top Mountain, and the Picnic Point waterfalls.
Toowoomba benefits from event tourism throughout the year, with annual events such as the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers drawing both day-trippers and overnight guests to the region. Throughout the year, Toowoomba has approximately 1,878,350 domestic visitor nights, with a further 683,409 international visitor nights.
Visitors can reach the area by car, or via Toowoomba Airport which caters to domestic visitors from Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns, Townsville and Western Queensland. Other domestic visitors and international visitors can fly into the nearby Brisbane Airport, where car hire is available.
Toowoomba is home to a range of budget and luxury accommodation for overnight visitors. With a total of 425 accommodation providers and food services, the region caters to business travellers, solo adventurers, couples, and families of various sizes, offering hotels, resorts, serviced apartments, holiday parks and hostels. Accommodation and food services are a significant industry for the region, employing 6.8 percent of the 152,245 people who call Toowoomba home, and being the third largest industry in the area.