Hervey Bay Gossip

So it seems that despite all the money we pour into advertising the wonders of Hervey Bay we’re somehow missing the mark and being beaten by Rainbow Beach.

It’s hardly surprising that people are passing on Hervey Bay and heading for Rainbow instead. For years now the main complaint has been that there’s nothing to do in Hervey Bay apart from the whales and Fraser Island so perhaps it’s time that some of those tourist dollars were spent pointing out that there is much more to do in Hervey Bay than just see the whales.

Sadly though it seems that our marketing gurus can’t think beyond the obvious when it comes to promoting Hervey Bay and don’t want to do a great deal to even promote those attractions.

It says a lot when local accommodation operators have to do their own promotion but that’s what one group is doing and this banner out on the highway just before the Hervey Bay turnoff is one example of their efforts.

Yes, they’re pushing the whales too but they’re also emphasising other things that Hervey Bay has to offer tourists. So if a small group of what are basically marketing amateurs can do this then why can’t our paid experts do something similar?

Billboard advertising is a highly effective form of marketing … and plenty of other tourist destinations are using this form of marketing along the Bruce Highway but when was the last time you saw a billboard advertising Hervey Bay?

For quite some time now we’ve been hearing from Council and the local tourism board that tourism in Hervey Bay and the Fraser Coast has never been better.

The general manager of the Fraser Coast South Burnett Regional Tourism Board would have you believe that tourism to the region continues to grow. Councillor Noia claims that the loss of Jetsar has had no significant impact on tourism to the region.

That’s been at complete odds with what those working at the frontline of tourism have been saying and now it looks like those optimistic reports were just so much hot air.

It makes you wonder what the Council and the Board have been basing their figurees on when the latest report from Tourism Queensland shows quite clearly that tourism to the Fraser Coast Region for the year ended March 2010 is well down.

Domestic visitors are down by 12% … holiday visitors are down by 5% … intrastate visitors are down by 9% and interstate visitors are down by a whopping 28%.

So perhaps the Council and the Fraser Coast South Burnett Regional Tourism Board might care to explain why their claims of increased tourism to the region are not supported by the facts.

If you’re a tourism operator here in Hervey Bay … or rely on the tourism industry for part or all of your income … then the announcements regarding flight cutbacks coming from Qantas and Jetstar are enough to raise the stress levels a point or two.

But headlines in the online version of today’s Courier Mail like ”Virgin Blue Facing Oblivion” are just about guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. You can read the full story here. If the worse case scenario came about then there could be some very interesting times ahead for Hervey Bay.

A recurring theme I often see appearing around the Net is that backpackers find that there is nothing to do in Hervey Bay. I’ve never been quite sure where most of them got that idea from because there is plenty to do here in the Bay. Of course we could always have more things to do but we’re not really that short of things to entertain visitors.

That was confirmed for me yesterday when we put a visiting relative back on the plane. He’d arrived on Friday morning for a family get together and had managed to find the time to look around Hervey Bay while he was here.

His only complaint was that there was so much to do in Hervey Bay that he hadn’t been able to do everything in the few days that he was here. And just to drive home the point he listed around 10 different things that he wanted to do but had lacked the time.

So it seems that there really is plenty to do here in Hervey Bay if you’re prepared to get out and gather a few brochures and make a few enquiries.

Wow, it’s not even May and already humpback whales have been spotted off the NSW north coast and could even be on the eastern side of Fraser Island.

Perhaps the whale season will begin a little earlier than July here in Hervey Bay.

You can read the full story here

The Courier Mail is reporting today on a small survey of airline travellers that may have implications for Hervey Bay.

The results of the survey suggest that as many as 1 in 5 Australians are considering abandoning air travel because of it contributes to global warming. The report also suggests that the Australian travel industry is conerned that European travellers may turn their back on long-haul travel.

You can find the full story here

After a frantic few weeks over the Christmas period the influx of tourists to Hervey Bay seems to be settling down. No vacancy signs are beginning to disappear, campers and caravans are beginning to thin out in the caravan parks along The Esplanade, you can now find a parking spot most times of the day along the same street and the big numbers in the cafes and restaurants have faded away.

Seems like it’s time to take a deep breath and get ready for the next surge of people that want to holiday in Hervey Bay.

Whale watching in Hervey Bay is definitely booming this year. Several mornings last week the crew for the
Gossip were down at the Urangan Boat Harbour as the whale boats were leaving and there were plenty of eager passengers on the boat.

At the same time the person who some credit with starting the whale watching industry here in Hervey Bay is getting herself involved in the starting up some competition for Hervey Bay down on the Gold Coast.

Quick Cat II pulls away from it’s moorings on Saturday morning

Last month Kingfisher Bay Resort brought a luxury catamaran to Hervey Bay from Tasmania to run three day cruises along the coast of Fraser Island during the winter months. There’s no doubt that the Discovery tends to stand head and shoulders above all the other vessels moored down at Urangan.

A look around the caravan parks here in Hervey Bay will show you that the way people are holidaying is definitely changing. More and more people are turning to motor homes when they want to go travelling and there is quite a market in motorhome rentals.

More and more people are also buying or building their own and you will see everything from old Bedford buses from the 1960s to much more modern vehicles being turned into motorhomes. The comfort level in these ranges from spartan to quiet luxury.

One Hervey Bay resident, Ross Bonney, has turned a 1997 Toyota Coaster into beautifully appointed home away from home that sets a new standard when it comes to owner-builder motorhomes.

This mobilehome is now for sale and you will find more photos and technical details here.