Fraser Island (K’gari) Tourism Statistics

Fraser Island (K’gari) is a World Heritage-listed sand island off the coast of Queensland, Australia, famous for its lakes, rainforests, and 75-mile beach.

Over 500,000 visitors visit Fraser Island (K’gari) annually.

• Before the pandemic, Fraser Island had 400,000 tourist arrivals in 2019.
• In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard, and visitation dropped 62% or 150,000 visitors.
• In 2021, numbers doubled to 300,000, a 100% increase as travel restrictions eased.
• In 2022, the total of 450,000 visitors was a big bounce back, up 50% from the previous year.
• Fraser Island had an all-time high of 500,000 visitors in 2023.
• The island experienced a decline in 2024, with 480,000 tourist arrivals.

Fraser Island (K’gari) is a popular tourism destination, but no figures are available for the island itself. However, it contributes to the overall tourist spend of the Fraser Coast region.

• In 2019, the Fraser Coast region had tourist spending of $412 million.
• In 2020, spending dropped to $206 million, a 50% drop due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Recovery began in 2021 with regional tourist spend of $330 million, still 20% below pre-pandemic levels.
• In 2022, regional tourist spending boomed at $580 million, up 41% from 2019.
• In 2023, visitors spent $747 million, up 29% from 2022, mainly driven by domestic tourism.
• The region’s tourism revenue reached $876 million in 2024, up 17% from the previous year.

• Lake McKenzie (Boorangoora): Over 300,000 visitors a year.
• Seventy-Five Mile Beach: Over 450,000 visitors a year.
• Eli Creek: Over 300,000 visitors a year.
• Maheno Shipwreck: Over 300,000 visitors a year.
• Central Station and Rainforest: Over 300,000 visitors a year.

July, August, and September are the peak tourist months for Fraser Island (K’gari).

• July is the busiest, with 12% of annual visitors.
• August is second with 11% share.
• September and December have 10% each, and April has 8% of annual visitors.

In 2024, 480,000 visitors came to Fraser Island, a 4% decrease from 2023 but 20% higher than 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

• Average daily visitor arrivals were 1,300, fluctuating between peak and off-peak.

Who visited Fraser Island the most in 2024?

In 2024, domestic visitors made up 90% of all visitors (432,000 domestic arrivals)

• International visitors accounted for 10% (48,000).