Being in the tourism industry myself, I am in the right position to see why Brisbane is one of the most visited cities not just in Queensland but also in Australia. Every year, we welcome millions of domestic and international visitors who are looking forward to exploring our exceptional tourist attractions and experiencing our rich culture and heritage. However, in the year ending March 2014, Brisbane tourism industry slowed down and it’s hurting people in the hospitality and tourism industries including many Brisbane hotels such as the one I manage here at Bridgewater Terraces.
Based on the official figures released by Tourism and Events Queensland, 5,035,000 domestic travelers visited our fine city in the said period which is down -1.2% on the previous year. Although this number dropped, of those visitors, the number of holiday makers increased marginally by +0.5% to 1,411,000.
This drop in domestic travelers resulted to the decline in visitors’ expenditure. The report revealed that the decline was because of the dramatically decreased of business and employment travelers. Domestic visitor expenditure in Brisbane was $3,108 million, which is -4.4% less compared to the numbers gathered in 2013. For the year ending June 2012, domestic overnight visitors spent $3.2 billion while international visitors spent $1.5 billion. On the other hand, domestic day visitor spent $1.3 billion totaling $6.0 billion for the whole year of 2012 or $16.4 million per day. 
Visitors Expenses
While tourism operator like myself would love to see visitors expenditure increase, it’s important to make sure you spend wisely on your Brisbane holiday, this will guarantee you a good time and, with a little luck, ensure you’ll visit Brisbane again for your next holiday, which of course will make the tourism operators happy.
When planning for a Brisbane holiday, there are certain expenses that you need to prepare for aside from booking Brisbane hotels or other forms of accommodation. Your travel expenses will include food and drink, transportation, entertainment, communication, and shopping and souvenirs – you may even need to include new luggage, insurance etc. If you have no idea how much you’ll have to save for each item, let me give you the figures.
Accommodation – This typically takes a huge chunk of your holiday budget aside from airfare if you’re coming from another country. In Brisbane, you have basically three choices when choosing where to stay. If you have hundreds to thousands of dollars to spare, I recommend you look at Brisbane hotels in the CBD. Rate starts from $200 to $500 depending on the size of the hotel room or the serviced apartment. If you want to be closer to museums and dining districts, then consider looking at Brisbane hotels in South Bank, although these can be just as expensive as Brisbane hotels in the CBD. Find out more about Southbank Hotels by reading ‘Why are hotels in Southbank Brisbane so sought after’. If you’re on a budget, I recommend looking for Brisbane hotels at Kangaroo Point – At Bridgewater Terraces, rate start at just $140 per night for spacious 1 bedroom apartment. And what’s more, we’re just 7-minute ferry ride from the CBD.
Food and drink – Based on a recent survey, travellers spend an average of $22 per day on food and drink when they’re in Brisbane. This can change of course, based on your preference. If you’re on a tight budget, eateries inside and outside Brisbane CBD offers delicious but affordable meals. There are also fine-dining restaurants where you can spend an average of $50-$75 per meal.
Local transportation – Brisbane has so many great districts that you’d find worth your time and each of them is easy to reach from your Brisbane hotel through public transportation. If you’re Brisbane hotel is within the CBD, you’ll find that everything is walking distance. If you’re staying some place else, trains, buses, and ferries will take you anywhere you want. On average, visitors spend $20-$50 daily for their transportation here.
Entertainment – There are so many places to visit in Brisbane including Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Alma Park Zoo, the City Botanic Gardens, Queensland Cultural Centre, and many more. While others are free, some requires admission fee. You can also expect to spend more if you sign up for travel package tours and include abseiling on your itinerary. Depending on the places that you would like to visit and the type of entertainment that you find enjoyable, you can expect to spend $100 – $200 per day for this item.
Conclusion
As the number of both domestic and international visitors dropped, the revenue of Brisbane hotels was affected, and significantly fewer tourists mean fewer bookings. Whilst as a tourism operator we love nothing more than to see visitor’s expenditure grow, as a tourist it’s also important that you keep an eye on the bottom dollar and be conscious of how much your holiday will cost you. By following the expenditure guide above, you’ll not only have an affordable holiday but with a little luck, you’ll return to Brisbane the following year for another holiday.
If budget is one of your main concerns and you don’t want to spend too much money on booking accommodation in the finest Brisbane hotels, check out the cheap Brisbane accommodation here at Bridgewater Terraces. We offer spacious, elegant, and stylish 1, 2, and 3 bedroom serviced apartments. Above all, they are very affordable especially when compared to other Brisbane hotels. For more information about rates, our location, etc. please head over to homepage at https://www.bridgewaterterraces.com.au/.
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