The Shoalhaven 2024 business report card is in!
We have pulled some top-level industry insights together as a snapshot of our achievements as an economy as a whole. We will be pulling these together on a quarterly basis, utilising Census, Economy ID, Australia Business Register, Visa spend data, accommodation data etc., and sharing with industry, however you are welcome to reach out to our team anytime for a snap shot of data to assist you in your business planning or growth.
Visitor spending in the Shoalhaven has seen record growth over the past five years, according to the latest data released by the Australian Government. The latest economic data available through the Australia Business Register (ABR) shows 85.5 per cent of the Shoalhaven’s 8,117 businesses are either sole traders or employ less than four people, and 5,000 jobs are reliant on tourism.
“Tourism brings a boost to our local economy each year, supporting thousands of local businesses and jobs. The contribution of visitors is important in ensuring our towns and villages thrive throughout the year,” said acting Director of City Development, Bruce Gibbs.
“When visitors are here in summer, Council’s focus is to educate visitors on being a Conscious Traveller, disperse them throughout the region via the 100 Beach Challenge, which has just re-launched as a personality quiz, and encourage increased spending with the new Shoalhaven Travel Guide.
“As we welcome thousands of people to our beautiful region over the summer months, we can feel proud that we live in one of the most stunning and sought after holiday areas,” said Mr Gibbs.
Tourism Research Australia’s (TRA) National and International Visitor Survey from June 2019 – 2024 reveals the spend by visitors to the region has grown by 94 per cent, injecting $1.42 billion into the local economy each year.
The growth in the visitor economy comes at a time when the annual spend by locals has decreased by 22 per cent, according to transaction data from VISA cards collected by Localis Data Company.
According to the TRA statistics, there has been a 65 per cent growth in visitors staying overnight in the region during the cooler months, or ‘off- season’, compared with a five per cent increase in nights stayed during peak season over the past 10 years.
For more information visit the Invest Shoalhaven website., or check out the recent stats here.
For a list of activities on offer in the region during Summer, visit the What’s on in the Shoalhaven webpage.
