Community
12 March, 2025
Kylie helping put Outback Queensland on the radar of tourists
The Sunset Tourist Park owner has spent her own money to travel south and spread the good word.
With the cost of living having an impact on Australian families, the domestic tourism industry is expecting to feel the pinch this year, says Kylie Rixon, but that doesn’t mean the North West will miss out.
The owner of the Sunset Tourist Park in Mount Isa has returned home after trips to Melbourne and Adelaide where she engaged with thousands of potential visitors to the Outback over the space of several days.
“Part of my role as an Outback ambassador for Drive Queensland is that I get invited to attend these caravan and camping shows all around the country,” Ms Rixon told North West Weekly.
“Essentially, my role is, first-of-all, to get people into Queensland, which is the brief for Drive Queensland, then it’s my job to encourage people to visit Outback Queensland and, of course, Mount Isa.
“If they I get them to Mount Isa then of course we’ve got a park they can stay in.
“So the whole job is to promote Queensland as first and foremost, but I can’t not promote Outback Queensland.”
While Ms Rixon is an ambassador, it’s not a paid position, which means her travel to and from Melbourne and Adelaide, plus accommodation, comes out of her own pocket.
While she acknowledges her business would see some benefit from bookings, Ms Rixon said she would like to see more support from the region in what she sees as a crucial tourism role.
“There was no one there representing Outback Queensland. Everyone was a member of Drive Queensland,” she said.
“I can see the value of it and I can see the importance of it ... there were times when Mount Isa City Council sent representatives years ago, and they treated it like a junket.
“I go down there and work hard because I see the value in it for our region.”
Ms Rixon said she handed out a swag of Mount Isa brochures on her travels.
“You can have brochures about everywhere but to have someone there that helps them plan their trip, alleviates their fears, talks them into coming ... that’s the hardest part,” she said.
“We know it works because I tell people at these shows I’ll bake scones for them (when they arrive at Sunset Tourist Park) and last year I got plenty of requests for scones!”