According to Airbnb’s Tiny Town Guide, Maclean in NSW’s Clarence Valley is Australia’s undiscovered gem, offering a unique taste of Scottish-Australian culture, an abundance of fresh seafood, easy access to rainforest bushwalks, and quintessential small-town streets down which tourists can wander.
The short-term rental platform has published the guide of 50 small towns that have tourism appeal and activities on offer in an effort to spread tourism to some of the country’s less visited locales.
In introducing its list of regional holiday hotspots, Airbnb reported that according to YouGov research, nearly 80 per cent of Aussies say they want to visit a regional town but one in three assume there are poor accommodation options.
The firm, of course, has hosted and unhosted stay options available in the 50 destinations on its list, and stressed that an adventure in a tiny town need not break the bank.
“From the quaint outback Queensland town of Monto, featuring rolling sandstone cliffs and an array of public art, to the sandy beaches of Scamander on Tasmania’s east coast, Airbnb’s Tiny Towns Guide offers up undiscovered gems that boast Airbnb listings at varying price points,” the firm stated.
So “undiscovered” in fact that Airbnb also noted its research indicates that 40 per cent of Aussies have never heard of even one of the top 10 tiny towns on the list.
Here are the top 10 tiny towns that Airbnb recommends visiting:
1. Maclean, NSW
2. Scamander, Tas
3. Monto, Qld
4. York, WA
5. Myrrhee, Vic
6. Taranna, Tas
7. Bremer Bay, WA
8. Lake Bennett, NT
9. Glen Alice, NSW
10. Tumby Bay, SA
Margy Osmond, chief executive officer of the Tourism & Transport Forum Australia (TTF), called Airbnb’s list “a fantastic initiative to give these small country towns a boost”.
“More and more people are looking for unique and interesting travel options that won’t break the bank and it’s wonderful to see so many smaller towns listed that will hopefully benefit from an increase in visitors who will stay for a weekend or longer to enjoy all these communities have to offer,” Osmond said.
In conjunction with its efforts to bring more attention to these potential holiday hotspots, Airbnb has selected five community organisations active in some of these regions to each receive a $30,000 grant to support their efforts to attract more visitors and foster community spirit. The grants will be going to:
- Scamander Surf Life Saving Club Inc
- The York Festival
- King Valley Arts Inc
- Monto Museum of Art (MMOA)
- Lower Clarence Scottish Association
Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb country manager for Australia and New Zealand, said that with the spring school holidays approaching, she hopes that more Australians will consider taking a road trip with their kids to discover a “tiny town with a big personality”.
“Highlighting these tiny towns offers a great opportunity for Airbnb hosts to roll out their welcome mats and showcase the best of what their region has to offer, with this guide also helping give local businesses a boost, thanks to the ripple effect of tourism dollars being spent in their community,” Wheeldon said.
