Noosa's Destination Management Plan
Together, we are guardians of Noosa
This video celebrates the spirit of shared responsibility that defines Noosa’s Destination Management Plan. It invites everyone - locals, businesses, and visitors alike - to become active guardians of Noosa’s natural beauty, cultural heritage, and community values. By working together, we can ensure Noosa remains a place of wonder, regeneration, and connection for generations to come. Whether you're here for a day or a lifetime, your actions matter. Join us in protecting what makes Noosa extraordinary.
As Noosa’s popularity continues to grow, so do the pressures on our environment, infrastructure, and community wellbeing. To ensure tourism remains a positive force for our region, Noosa Council has developed a community-led Destination Management Plan (DMP). This long-term strategy puts community values and environmental care at the heart of our visitor economy.
How to use this page
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Noosa's Destination Management Plan
Our Vision
A way of life and travel that respects community, actively protects the environment and nurtures a thriving local economy, working in balance with nature and looking after the place we love, together.
A Plan for Noosa’s Future
The Noosa Shire Destination Management Plan (DMP), shaped in collaboration with the community, offers a clear and long-term guide to balancing Noosa’s unique environment and lifestyle with thoughtful visitor management. It encourages bold leadership and meaningful change, inviting both locals and visitors to play an active role in caring for Noosa. As a community-led document, the DMP outlines key priorities, supported by targeted actions and measurable outcomes, to help us know that we’re on the right track. These priorities are designed to protect Noosa’s natural assets and way of life, while consciously managing the visitor economy and enhancing the visitor experience - creating a strong foundation for shared responsibility. By taking this approach, Noosa can lead the way in responsible, forward-thinking, and regenerative tourism preserving its natural beauty, rich environment, vibrant culture, and strong sense of community for generations to come.
Read Noosa's Destination Management Plan below or view and download the pdf.
Delivering the DMP: Our Implementation Plan
A Destination Management Plan sets the vision and goals for a place, but turning ideas into action requires a clear roadmap. An implementation plan for monitoring and evaluation ensures that progress is tracked, resources are used effectively, and outcomes are measured against agreed objectives. It helps everyone understand what success looks like, who is responsible for each step, and how adjustments can be made along the way. By reviewing and updating the plan regularly, stakeholders can stay aligned, respond to challenges, and keep the destination on track to deliver long-term benefits for the community, visitors, and the environment.
Read the draft Implementation Plan for each Principle
Principle 1 - Respecting Community(, 0B)
Principle 2 - Leading the Way(, 0B)
Principle 3 - Living our Values(, 0B)
Principle 4 - Tourism for Good(PDF, 45KB)
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Explore the DMP Principles
We’ve made it easy for you to dive into the four principles of our Destination Management Plan using an interactive tool. Each principle includes details on how we plan to deliver on it and how we’ll measure success. Simply select a principle to view its associated actions and success measures. You can return to the main screen at any time by clicking the Home icon in the top left corner. This interactive experience is designed to help you understand our approach and track progress in a clear, engaging way.
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DMP Progression Dashboard
The DMP progression dashboard is currently in development.
As part of the Destination Management Plan, we are launching a live monitoring and evaluation dashboard. This interactive tool will showcase all key performance indicators (KPIs) and success measures in a clear, visual format, making it easy for the community to track progress on targets and projects. The dashboard is designed to promote transparency and accountability, allowing residents and stakeholders to stay informed about how initiatives are performing and contributing to regenerative tourism outcomes. By providing real-time data and visual insights, we aim to keep everyone engaged and up to date as the plan moves forward. Expected delivery date to be advised.
Image is an example only.
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Community consultation and analysis
Noosa Council undertook community engagement for this important destination plan because your voices matter. The future of our region depends on decisions that reflect the needs, values, and aspirations of the people who live, work, and visit here. By inviting feedback and ideas, we ensured the plan is not only strategic, sustainable and regenerative but also deeply connected to what makes our destination unique. Community input helps us balance growth with environmental care, preserve cultural identity, and create opportunities that benefit everyone. This collaborative approach strengthens trust and ensures the plan truly represents the shared vision for our destination.
Community Engagement Phase 1
The aim of Phase 1 of the Community Consultation process was, firstly, to identify what the community and businesses consider are the key issues, challenges and opportunities in managing the destination into the future. Secondly, the process sought to determine the overall appetite for change, and the scope of change that is desired. Phase 1 community engagement ran between 15th September and 29 October 2023.
Read the Phase 1 documents, survey results and governance
This report presents the Phase 1 Community Engagement survey results, including demographic insights, preferred levels of change, community priorities, and the major themes raised by participants. Each slide highlights a different aspect of the feedback, helping you explore the community’s perspectives in a simple, structured way.
Use the arrows on the right-hand side to scroll through the graphs.
Community Engagement Phase 2
Following the initial round of community engagement, Phase 2 was designed to ensure we accurately understood the feedback shared during Phase 1. This stage involved a comprehensive and methodologically robust process that was positively received by most participants. By applying rigorous sampling and stratification techniques, the feedback collected in Phase 2 is statistically valid and reliably representative of the broader community. In addition to validating earlier insights, this phase provided an overview of high-level initial findings, reinforcing confidence that the Destination Management Plan reflects community priorities and perspectives.
Read the Phase 2 documents and survey results
Overview of survey data
The Phase 2 Community Engagement survey results have been presented through clear, topic specific sections as graphs to make it easier to read. The data shows who participated (demographics), how the community responded to the draft DMP vision, and their level of acceptance of the proposed Principles and actions. Each graph focuses on a single element of the feedback, guiding you through the community’s perspectives in a simple, structured way.
Use the arrows on the right-hand side to scroll through the graphs.
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Destination Management Plan timeline
The Destination Management Plan outlines a strategic roadmap for Noosa’s regenerative future, with actions phased across short, medium, and long-term horizons. Implementation began in 2024, with priority initiatives already underway. The plan will be reviewed regularly, with key milestones tracked through the DMP Progression Dashboard to ensure progress remains aligned with community values and evolving needs. This timeline ensures a balanced approach to delivering meaningful outcomes while adapting to change.
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Resources and more information
To better support our community, we have introduced a suite of additional resources designed to address specialised questions around key aspects of destination management. The following resources include fact sheets, guides, case studies and frequently asked questions.
The Fact Sheets provide clear, practical information on topics such as carrying capacity, congestion management, car parking, visitor charges, tourism funding explanation, and the development of a Surf Management Plan. By offering these targeted resources, we aim to ensure that residents, businesses, and visitors have access to accurate answers and transparent explanations, helping everyone understand how these initiatives contribute to sustainable tourism and a balanced visitor experience.
View the Fact Sheets here
View the FAQs
What is a DMP?
A DMP is a Destination Management Plan. It is a plan that guides, via actions, the way a place manages tourism, in balance with the needs of the local community, the environment, the economy and visitors.
Why do we need one?
Tourism is part of the fabric of Noosa’s identity and economy—via surveys and conversations, the community has told us that tourism needs to be managed more carefully to protect what makes Noosa special.
A DMP will help us:
- Protect the things that matter to the Noosa community.
- Ensure tourism benefits locals.
- Keep Noosa’s character and lifestyle intact.
- Plan for the future.
Corporate documents we recently engaged the Community on
International examples and articles
Partner destinations and organisations
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Contact us
If you have any questions, would like to connect with the DMP team, or are interested in getting involved, we’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to reach out using the email listed below.
E: dmp@noosa.qld.gov.au