The fuel conversation has been front of mind for all of us in the Central Highlands tourism space lately, and rightly so. As a region that relies heavily on drive and long-haul visitors, our operators are feeling it. Fuel costs are a real pressure for travellers, and while we haven’t experienced any supply issues here in the Central Highlands, the perception around availability is influencing behaviour all the same.

Our response has been to back our region with purpose.

On organic social media, we’ve been on a roll. Our 10 Must-Know Tips series, packed with the kind of local knowledge you can only get from people who actually live here, generated more than 534k views and sent hundreds of visitors to our website to find out more. A video series highlighting things to see and do across Carnarvon Gorge, Blackdown Tableland, the Sapphire Gemfields and Emerald added a further 283k views.

We’ve paired that with targeted paid advertising, most recently a Meta campaign ahead of Easter and the school holidays encouraging Central Queensland locals to explore more closer to home. The messaging was simple: less driving, more holiday, with Carnarvon Gorge walks, Blackdown Tableland views, Sapphire Gemfields fossicking and country pub hospitality right on their doorstep.

Next up is a three-week Queensland-wide campaign showcasing two of our region’s most spectacular drawcards: Carnarvon Gorge and the Sapphire Gemfields. Inspired by Tourism and Events Queensland’s drive campaign, we’ve developed itineraries that are rich in experience without being heavy on kilometres, keeping the fuel factor front of mind.

The Central Queensland Highlands is open, spectacular, and worth the trip. We know the road ahead for our operators isn’t easy, but we’ll keep backing our backyard every step of the way.