 AUGUST 2026 HIGHLIGHTS Forward booking performance data INDUSTRY EVENTS Be part of our next Sunshine Moments campaignFrom 27 August to 27 October, our Sunshine Moments campaign will be inspiring travellers across Australia’s east coast to book their next Sunshine Coast escape, and there are plenty of ways for VSC members to get involved:✨ Upload a free deal through your ATDW listing
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| Have your say: Destination Tourism Plan If you haven’t already completed the Destination Tourism Plan 2027–2032 industry survey, we’d love to hear your ideas, challenges and priorities.Your feedback will help inform the shared roadmap that guides tourism development, investment and advocacy across our destination.Complete the survey here.European sustainability webinarIf your business markets to European visitors, this one is worth adding to the diary.Tourism Australia is hosting a free webinar on Friday 21 August at 11am to unpack new European Union sustainability requirements and what they mean for tourism businesses making environmental or social claims in their marketing.Register for the webinar here. |
 The Curated Plate serves up a record year What a festival! Nearly 10,000 people joined us for The Curated Plate, making it the biggest and most diverse program in the festival’s history.Across 10 delicious days, visitors explored every corner of the Sunshine Coast, supporting local restaurants, producers, accommodation providers, attractions and retailers along the way. From the coast to the hinterland, the festival showcased the incredible people, produce and experiences that make our region so special.A huge thank you to everyone who hosted an event, welcomed visitors or played a part in bringing this year’s festival to life. It was another fantastic example of Team Sunshine Coast in action. 📸 Chefs Alistair McLeod and Peter Kuruvita at The Curated Plate. |
| Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund Planning a new visitor experience or infrastructure project within the Gympie LGA? Round 2 of the Queensland Government’s $20 million Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund is now open, with grants of up to $300,000 available to support projects such as new visitor experiences, visitor facility upgrades, eco-lodges and glamping, agritourism, ecotourism and stargazing initiatives.👉 Apply here before 9 September 2026. Adventure Tourism Awards now open The Adventure Tourism Awards are back, and it’s fantastic to see so many Sunshine Coast operators already nominated for 2026.If your business is making an impact in adventure tourism, now’s the time to throw your hat in the ring, with nominations and public voting now open. Winners will be celebrated at the Adventure Tourism Awards Gala on 22 October, held as part of the Adventure Tourism Awards & Conference on the Gold Coast.👉 Nominate or cast your vote here. |
| Introduction to Cruise Workshop Looking to better understand how your business could work with the cruise industry?TEQ and the Australian Cruise Association are hosting an Introduction to Cruise Workshop in Brisbane on Wednesday 2 September 2026 from 2:30pm to 4pm. The session will offer practical insights into working with cruise lines and shore excursion operators, along with ways to make the most of cruise visitation to Queensland.Registrations close on Friday 28 August 2026. Register here. MEMBER NEWS |
 Australian Wearable Art Festival A huge congratulations to the team behind the Australian Wearable Art Festival, which returned bigger and better than ever this year from its new home at Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort.With a larger stage and longer runway, the festival wowed audiences with incredible creativity, theatrical performances and wearable artworks from across Australia and beyond, further cementing its reputation as one of the country’s leading wearable art events.It’s fantastic to see the festival go from strength to strength, and we’re already looking forward to seeing what 2027 brings. |
| Sunshine Coast restaurants recognised A huge congratulations to our member winners at the Restaurant & Catering Australia Hostplus Awards for Excellence Queensland & Northern Territory. The Tamarind at Spicers Tamarind Retreat was named Best Asian Restaurant SEQ, while The Long Apron at Spicers Clovelly Estate took out Best French Restaurant SEQ. Ethos at Alsahwa Estate was crowned the Sunshine Coast’s Best New Restaurant, and Rick’s Garage Bar & Diner was named Best Family Dining SEQ.A big shout-out also to Bella Venezia Restaurant, Cibaria Noosa, Fish House Steak & Grill and Sunshine Beach Surf Club Restaurant for being named among the finalists. It’s a great reflection of the incredible quality and diversity of the Sunshine Coast’s dining scene.Want your news featured? Email us at media@visitsunshinecoast.com. MARKETING NEWS |
 Make the most of spring events Our winter events calendar delivered some fantastic results, and spring is shaping up to be just as exciting. From major sporting events to festivals and community celebrations, there’s no shortage of opportunities to put your business in front of more visitors over the coming months. Whether it’s creating a special offer, joining the conversation on social media or partnering directly with an event organiser, a little planning can go a long way. Explore upcoming events here, or get in touch with the team at marketing@visitsunshinecoast.com to chat about ways to leverage them. Some of the biggest events coming up include: PUBLIC RELATIONS NEWS |
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| 📰 Media discover the Sunshine Coast We’ve welcomed two visiting journalists to the Sunshine Coast in recent weeks, with Sarah Nealon from Stuff.co.nz exploring The Curated Plate, the hinterland and Mooloolaba, while freelancer Ash Jurberg visited Narrows Escape, The Range Holistic Spa and Wellness, Tank Bathhouse and My Dilly Bag to gather stories for upcoming wellness features. Thanks to all of our members for sharing their incredible experiences. 👋 Hello, New Zealand 🍽️ Sunshine Coast food scene in the spotlight 🌌 Dark Sky Reserve continues to shine 🐄 Eastwell Farms makes headlines 🌱 Sustainability program makes local news 🍽️ The Curated Plate kicks off TRADE & INTERNATIONAL NEWS |
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| Building connections in Indonesia Following Tourism Australia’s Marketplace Southeast Asia, our Trade and International Manager, Emily, spent three days in Jakarta alongside TEQ, meeting with key travel agency partners and delivering destination training sessions.With new air connectivity into Denpasar, Indonesia is an exciting growth market for the Sunshine Coast. The visit was all about building relationships, increasing product knowledge and putting the Sunshine Coast front of mind for Indonesian travellers planning their next holiday. |
| Creating future business events Our Business Events team recently flew the flag for the Sunshine Coast at the Associations Forum National Conference in Geelong, connecting with association decision-makers and showcasing why our region is the perfect place to host conferences and events. Those conversations are already creating opportunities, with new association conference leads for 2027 to 2029 now in the pipeline. Every connection helps put our members in front of future business events, bringing more delegates, visitors and economic benefits to the Sunshine Coast. |