![David Whitehill tours the unique Underground Hospital and Museum. Picture Channel Nine David Whitehill tours the unique Underground Hospital and Museum. Picture Channel Nine](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/206252786/a1648048-8d2a-41b6-bc74-cd1b0803ad04.jpg/r130_0_1699_957_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Mount Isa's unique tourism industry has been given a timely boost with a feature from national TV travel show Getaway.
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As the region approaches peak season, other parts of the country were treated to some of the highlights visitors' experience when staying in the Isa.
Presenter David Whitehill started off by showcasing the world famous Mount Isa rodeo.
He then made a visit to Outback at Isa, viewing the information centre, art gallery and historical displays. Whilst he was there, he spoke with centre guide and bush tucker expert Edna Cheethem as they walked the centre's native botanical garden.
Ms Cheetham also talked the presenter through some of the outback's hidden gems such as the ruby saltbush. She also said, despite common misconception, the Isa is not a lifeless desert, but a region buzzing with native plants and animals.
Next, he was off to the Mount Isa Underground Hospital and Museum and received a tour from guide Patrick Harman.
The two walked through the hospital, discussing its history as an air raid shelter through World War II. The underground hospital celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2022.
The segment concluded with a seat on board North West Tour's visit to Lake Moondarra.
Getaway started airing in 1992 and is Australia's longest running TV travel program. Segments like this are a helpful ingredient in driving North West Queensland's tourism economy.
In the Mount Isa Tourism Strategy 2020-2025, domestic visitors reached one million to the Queensland Outback in the pre-COVID year of 2019.
The interstate visitor market forms a large section of the Mount Isa tourism sector. An estimated 134,000 visitors generated about 442,000 nights of stay in 2017 with the majority arriving from NSW (41 per cent) and Victoria (29 per cent).
Large events, like August's Mount Isa Rodeo, are an essential during the peak period. A key priority of the strategy is to keep visitors in Mount Isa longer and target 'high value travellers' instead of the FIFO market.