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.
CLICK TO VIEW THE TOURISM & DESTINATION EVENTS STRATEGY 2023-2028(PDF, 6MB)
(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.
The Western Downs has a wide range of unique and high-quality tourism product, including destination events of national significance.
Regional Destination Events
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.
New Tourism Product
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 Western Downs, 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.
Visitors are guaranteed an authentic taste of country culture, best explored through one of the diverse events across the region.
Council aims to continue to strengthen opportunities for our region's tourism industry, focusing on short break visits, events, short and long-haul drives and business events across the Western Downs.
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.
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
The Western Downs is home to modern tourism operators embracing leading edge business practices and local productivity continues to increase.
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 SQCT could provide to your business.
The Western Downs is equipped with modern infrastructure and quality essential services supporting the visitor economy.
Western Downs Regional Council operates three profitable and accredited Visitor Information Centres and supports two non-accredited Visitor Information Centres (operated by committees), as well as three Visitor Information Centres within Council's Customer Service Centres.
Regional Accredited Visitor Information Centres
Regional Non-Accredited Visitor Information and Service Centres
The Western Downs is future proofed for a changing climate and transitioning economies, and circular economy principles are demonstrated.
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 Western Downs plays a vital role in the delivery of the Queensland Climate Action of 70% renewable energy by 2032 and zero net emissions by 2050.
Western Downs Regional Council is committed to further lead the way, and to do so, will undertake a carbon emissions study of both Council as an organisation and the region as a whole. This study will guide and inform opportunities to reduce carbon emissions.
This strategy is the start of a region-wide movement and commitment to work collaboratively - facilitating partnerships and relationships local volunteers, community, tourism operators, destination event committees, regional tourism organisations, levels of government and neighbouring regions.
We invite you to show your support, submit your 'promise' and join this movement. We will be sharing a list of supportive organisations here so please upload your logo for us to display.
Complete the form to pledge your support
Click here to view form.