Ipswich has been nominated as one of Australia’s top travel destinations for 2017 in an annual national consumer poll.

‘Australia’s Top Destinations to Experience’, a major national poll led by Experience Oz has shortlisted Ipswich alongside 44 other destinations within the regional category of the survey.

It appears ipswich’s blend of heritage charm, metropolitan sophistication and expansive green spaces make Ipswich a “gateway” to a taste of regional Australia.

Experience Oz Marketing Manager Matt Hobbs said that ‘Australia’s Top Regional Destinations to Experience,’ aims to showcase towns like Ipswich while encouraging Aussies to travel domestically rather than abroad.

“While there’s been a recent trend for domestic travellers to look at short overseas trips, we want to put the emphasis back on all the incredible locations Aussies can visit within our own country,” Mr Hobbs said.

“When discussing must-visit regional Australian travel spots, Ipswich is one destination that should be on all Aussies’ bucket lists,” Mr Hobbs said.

Statistics from the City of Ipswich indicate that for 2015/16, there were 399,949 international visitors nights in the City of Ipswich, accounting for 16.7% of the total visitor nights.

Cr Paul Tully attributes Ipswich’s tourism growth to the high quality of local tourism experiences available.

“Ipswich is being recognised for its tourism strengths and among those are our nature spaces like Flinders-Goolman and White Rock-Spring Mountain Conservation Estates, which have also seen an increase in hiker numbers,” Cr Tully said.

“Between January and June this year

the number of visitors to Orion Lagoon, part of the Robelle Domain parklands, reached over 152,000, while more than 114,000 visitors came to Queens Park during the same time period, which coincided with the birth of rare triplet female Bilby joeys.”

Want to win a holiday?

Voting for Ipswich as the #1 regional travel destination in Australia could see you win a trip to your top-voted destination with Experience Oz, including flights, accommodation and a handful of the must-do experiences in the given region.

The poll is currently open and runs until 23rd October 2017, and typically receives tens of thousands of votes from across Australia.

To cast your vote, visit https://www.experienceoz.com.au/en/top-10-destinations-2017.