Business Manager of Mount Isa Entertainment and Tourism Venues, Donna Olivero said she can see Mount Isa being “smashed” this Rodeo season breaking tourism records even though monthly figures were slightly low.

“It’s going to be an unprecedented season despite the comparison of our month by month correlation of figures showing 2018 to be less for most of the year compared to 2017,” Ms Olivero said.

May 2017 saw around 3480 tourists go through Outback at Isa compared to 3384 in May 2018. In June 2017 figures showed 4320 tourists visited Outback at Isa whereas June 2018 figures were slightly lower coming in at over 4176. However figures for the month of July skyrocketed in the last week from 3529 to 5351 tourists blitzing the 2017 figure of 4190.

“I think people have held back from coming here, so that they can be here for the festivities – the street festival and the 60^th Anniversary Rodeo and party.”

Ms Oliverio said even the profile of the typical tourist was changing.

“Now we are seeing a lot more families traveling and homeschooling their children, doing so to be able to travel around for longer periods together,” she said.

Sunset Caravan Park owner Peter Miller said the tourism season started late this year.

“Last year I was sending about 30 vans away a day to other Caravan Parks or with a permit to park at George McCoy Park, but this year not so many,” he said.

“At the moment we have no vacancies but tourists need to remember to lock up their belongings because Rodeo season promises to be hectic and our figures reflect that. I leave a few spots locked up for Rodeo but I’ve decided to open those spots now,” he said.

Outback at Isa collaborate with the Caravan parks regularly to help keep numbers as accurate as possible.