‘WHERE ELSE BUT QUEENSLAND’ TOPS DESTINATIONS RANKING

THE Sunshine State has outshined other states on the annual Wotif.com top destinations list.

Based on more than 250,000 monthly bookings received by the online travel and accommodation booking company, the study shows Queensland was the most represented state during 2011 with eight cities in the top 20.

The travel hotspots in question include the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville, Port Douglas, Mackay and Airlie Beach.

Wotif brands general manager Megan Magill praises the result as encouraging after last year’s summer of natural disasters.

“2011 was a challenging year for a lot of tourism operators in Queensland with floods and cyclones,” says Magill.

“Despite this we’ve still seen some exceptional growth in regional areas of Queensland like Rockhampton, which is largely due to more affordable flights and better access via rail and coach.

“This great result is a real testament to the dedication and hard work of tourism operators in Queensland.”

New South Wales was runner-up with Byron Bay, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle and Sydney all appearing on the top 20 Australian destinations list.