Western Downs Regional Council is committed to proactively advancing our region as a tourist destination for travelers all over Australia and beyond. Our vision is for the Western Downs to be an end destination of choice for repeat visitors, while leveraging off significant drive-through visitation.
Council’s five-year Tourism & Destination Events Strategy (2023 – 2028) will expand the visitor economy to the Western Downs by providing leading experiences, delivering for our communities, and enabling strong and sustainable local businesses.
Importantly, the strategy will be essential for our region as we inch closer to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our region to leverage domestic and international tourism, and to develop our great region as an end destination of choice.
View the Tourism & Destination Events Strategy(PDF, 6MB)
The Tourism & Destination Events Strategy focuses on five key pillars to expand the Western Downs’ visitor economy: Tourism Product; Market; Infrastructure; Productivity and Innovation and Sustainability and Resilience - you can find out more about these key pillars at the links below.
Zoning in on these five pillars will ensure that everyone knows that on the Western Downs, it's the people that make it.
To find out more about Tourism in the Western Downs, visit the Western Downs Queensland website.
Western Downs has a wide range of unique and high-quality tourism product, including destination events of national significance.
How is our strategy tracking?
The Western Downs’ tourism industry plays a significant role in the region’s economy and reputation as visitors continue to choose our great region as a destination of choice. Council is committed to continuing to expand the visitor economy by developing enticing experiences, significant destination events and modern tourism product.
Since the adoption of Council’s Tourism and Destination Events Strategy, Council has continued to enhance, deliver and support the enhancement of regional tourism product including:
- Supporting and/or delivering destination events in 2023 including; Chinchilla Melon Festival, Big Skies, Dalby Delicious and DeLIGHTful, Miles Back to the Bush and Dalby Stockhorse Sale
- Delivering projects including three accreditation events (such as VIC volunteer training day), Bunya Mountains Feasibility Study and the regional signage strategy
- Successfully hosting the 2023 Campervan Motorhome Club of Australia rally, estimating a total cash injection of $2.8million (with a spin off of additional rallies boosting regional spend further)
- Attracting new accommodation providers and supporting the 141 current Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) listings across the region (most recent added in Chinchilla, Columboola, Dalby, Jandowae, Kaimkillenbun, Kogan, Miles, Tara and Warra)
Tourism and Events
The Western Downs is a gateway to Outback Australia, promising a delightful cocktail of country and city life.
Growing the drive tourism industry makes sense, when the Western Downs is strategically located at the intersection of two major state highways and traversed by three long-haul drive touring routes.
Natural assets and diverse landscapes are what draw visitors to the region, with the promise of ancient pines at the Bunya Mountains, state forests, national parks, a major river system, fossils and plenty of open spaces to choose your own adventure.
Our region is renowned for iconic major events that truly capture the essence of the region - from music to melon festivals and lanterns to camel races. Don't miss the next big Western Downs event, find out more about each of them below.
Big Skies
Big Skies is your one-stop festival shop featuring a star-studded line-up of iconic artists and unique Western Downs experiences for everyone.
Find out more about Big Skies here
Chinchilla Melon Fest
Known as the ‘Melon Capital’ of Australia, every two years the thriving Chinchilla community throw a melon-mania festival (pictured above) full of unique, crazy and fun-filled experiences unique to the Western Downs.
Read more about the Melon Fest on their website.
Dalby's Delicious and DeLIGHTful Festival
Celebrate and embrace multiculturalism and inclusivity with live performances, an activity filled program and a multitude of flavours from around the globe - right here on the Western Downs.
Visit Delicious and DeLIGHTful's website here for more.
Dalby Stockhorse Sale
The premier Dalby Stockhorse Sale is the largest stockhorse sale in the world and is an excellent opportunity to watch the renowned Australian Stock Horse at work before going under the hammer.
Find out more about the Dalby Stockhorse Sale here.
Opera at Jimbour
Opera at Jimbour offers a truly unique and memorable event with a weekend of intimate opera and chamber music performances at the beautiful Jimbour House.
Click here to find out more.
Destination Events Program
Council's Destination Events Program supports social, cultural, industry and sporting events to attract overnight visitation and deliver economic benefits to the Western Downs region through increased expenditure.
Applications from $5,000 to $20,000 are available for successful applicants. For more information on program guidelines and to start your application, click here.
The Western Downs is a destination of choice for domestic tourists from Australia’s metropolitan market and coastal areas and expands to emerging domestic and international markets.
How is our strategy tracking?
Western Downs is always at the forefront of the digital world as Council continues to strengthen the region’s digital presence in order to grow and diversify the tourism market. The region’s tourism website, www.westerndownsqueensland.com.au, has gone from strength to strength and is optimised effectively ensuring page rankings are high and visitation is ever-increasing. Council’s tourism brand also performs well across social media channels, increasing the exposure of the region with potential visitors across the country.
Council also proudly upholds a partnership with Southern Queensland Country Tourism to intensify regional tourism and enhance tourism opportunities within the Western Downs.
Tourism Research Australia data is released every four years with no current updates available.
Western Downs Regional Council is focused on delivering strong all-year round campaigns to promote the region as a destination of choice.
View the links below to find out more about Council's Tourism brand.
Western Downs Queensland online | Western Downs Queensland on Facebook | Western Downs Queensland on Instagram
Western Downs is home to modern tourism operators embracing leading edge business practices and local productivity continues to increase.
How is our strategy tracking?
Productivity and innovation is always present across Council’s strategies as our region aims to be at the forefront in the changing world. There is no exception in the tourism industry as unique visitor experiences continue to increase across the region.
Within the last year, significant packaged experiences have been added to enhance visitation including:
- Miles Historical Village Online Travel Agency experience
- Fossicking experience offered in Chinchilla (Chinchilla VIC)
- Charley's Creek Campground and experience
Western Downs Regional Council works together in strong partnership with Southern Queensland Country Tourism (SQCT), to support local tourism operators through marketing, networking and business support.
Please visit the Southern Queensland Country Tourism website here to find out more about the support which can be provided to your business.
Modern infrastructure and quality essential services supporting the visitor economy, the Western Downs is well equipped.
How is our strategy tracking?
Visitor infrastructure is significant across the region with both accredited and non-accredited visitor information centres welcoming visitors daily. Within the last year, Council has further improved visitor infrastructure with:
- Two new audible walking tours in Dalby and Glenmorgan
- 'Farmer Bob's Children's Activity' in Dalby
- Bookable fossicking kits in Chinchilla
Western Downs Regional Council operates 8 Visitor Information Centres - three accredited, supporting two non-accredited centres (operated by committees), as well as three located within Council's Customer Service Centres.
Regional Accredited Visitor Information Centres
Regional Non-Accredited Visitor Information and Service Centres
Western Downs is future proofed for a changing climate and transitioning economies, and circular economy principles are demonstrated.
How is our strategy tracking?
Council engaged in a regional carbon emissions review last year (2023) to measure the region’s current carbon footprint and identify opportunities to achieve the net-zero goal of the future.
The Western Downs is proudly trademarked the Energy Capital of Queensland.
What’s fueling the energy sector’s growth is the combination of the Western Downs’ geography and environmental conditions, along with existing transmission infrastructure. This has meant there are opportunities for energy providers to interstate connectors and transmission lines.
Being home to significant renewables developments, the region plays a vital role in the delivery of the Queensland Climate Action of 70% renewable energy by 2032 and zero net emissions by 2050.
Council is committed to further lead the way, and to do so, will undertake a carbon emissions study of both as an organisation and the region as a whole. This study will guide and inform opportunities to reduce carbon emissions.