Mackay Isaac Tourism Wraps Up a Year of Growth and Gears Up for 2026

As 2025 draws to a close, Mackay Isaac Tourism is celebrating a year of milestones that have strengthened the region’s position as one of Queensland’s most exciting destinations.

From record-breaking visitor numbers to bold campaigns and unforgettable events, the past 12 months have been nothing short of transformative.

A Year of Achievements

• International Visitation: 33,000 in the year ending September 2025, up 17.1% on the previous year¹.
• Domestic Visitation: 773,000 domestic overnight visitors for the nine-month period ending September 2025²
• Total Domestic Visitor Expenditure: $895.4m between overnight visitors and day trippers (3.3% of the states total visitor expenditure) ²
• Domestic reason for travel²:
  • Holiday: 215,000
  • Business: 205,000
  • Visiting Family and Relatives: 206,000
• Total Campaign Reach: Delivered 19.8 million impressions across major campaigns including Lucky Catch and Snap, keepuP!, and Free Spirit.
• Visitor Servicing: Welcomed 13,420 visitors through Mackay Isaac Visitor Information Centres, supported by 3,891 volunteer hours.
• Events Calendar: Supported a diverse lineup of signature events including Nebo Rodeo, St Lawrence Wetlands Weekend, Lucky Catch and Snap, Between The Tides, Wombat Festival, BMA Mackay Marina Run, Mackay Festival of Arts, and more.
• Digital Transformation: Launched a new website and completed a whole-of-region destination shoot.
• Industry Leadership: Became proud members of the Australian Cruise Association, contributed to four Destination 2045 submissions, and advocated for improved access to national parks, enhanced visitor infrastructure, and supportive tourism policy.
• Trade Development: Celebrated our largest-ever regional presence at ATE, showcasing Mackay Isaac to national and international trade.

Mackay Isaac Tourism CEO Jeff Stewart-Harris said these achievements reflect the passion and resilience of our tourism community.

“Together, we’ve elevated Mackay Isaac’s profile and created a foundation for even greater success in 2026”, Mr Stewart-Harris said.

Campaign Success Driving Real Outcomes

Our campaigns didn’t just generate clicks, they delivered real economic impact³:

• Average Daily Rate (ADR): $232.75 (+9.55%)
• Flight Searches: Average 18,740 per month (+15.88%)
• Overnight Visitors: Average 79,692 per month (+18.43%)
• International overnight visitors: 37,000 (+7,000 year-on-year)

“These results prove that strategic, creative marketing can shift perceptions and drive real outcomes,” Mr Stewart-Harris added.

“We’ve moved beyond being a stopover destination. Travellers are actively seeking Mackay Isaac for authentic experiences.”

Isaac Regional Council Mayor Kelly Vea Vea said it’s encouraging to see more travellers choosing to spend time in our towns and experience what makes Isaac unique.

“These results mean stronger support for local businesses and more opportunities for our communities”, Mayor Vea Vea said.

“It shows the value of sharing the stories and experiences that set our region apart.”

Looking Ahead: 2026

With the festive season and school holidays approaching, Mackay Isaac is ready to welcome Free Spirit travellers into 2026.

From sunrise wallaby encounters at Cape Hillsborough to island escapes, outback adventures to vibrant summer events, the region offers endless opportunities to do whatever, whenever.

Clermont based operator and owner of Bush Heli-Services, Mardi Bush said this year has already been a tremendous success.

“We’ve launched several new scenic packages, welcomed additional team members, expanded our fleet with new helicopters, and completed major facility upgrades”, Mrs Bush said.

“With travel continuing to grow across the region, we expect our numbers to exceed previous years, and we’re excited to soon release another new package for visitors and locals alike”.

Wake House Australia & Mackay Adventure Tours and Transfers Managing Director Amanda Pelagalli said the Wake House is seeing an increase in international tourists visiting the park on their travels up north in the lead up to Christmas. 

“We’re particularly seeing visitors from Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands”. Mrs Pelagalli said.

“It's been very fun to have lots of internationals learning how to wakeboard with the locals, for the first time right here in Mackay.

“Looking forward to 2026, Mackay Adventure Tours and Transfers has strong forward bookings particularly with group touring companies looking for exciting new destinations to visit along the Queensland coast”.

Celebrating Our Operators

Behind every success story are the operators and volunteers on the ground who deliver unforgettable experiences.

“From boutique stays to reef adventures and outback events, the commitment and passion from our local operators and volunteers is what makes the Mackay Isaac destination shine”, Mr Stewart-Harris added.

“Without them, we as a Regional Tourism Organisation couldn’t do what we do”.

Get Involved

Local operators and media are encouraged to amplify the region’s voice by sharing summer deals and experiences.

Learn more here: https://www.mackayisaac.com/plan/deals

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