As the Southern Downs readies for another sunflower season, the community says its visitation numbers are higher than ever.
The now-famous 'Sunflower Trail' has become a must-see for anyone visiting the area and a bucket list destination for people all over the world.
The seemingly endless fields of giant sunflowers have brought thousands to the region, with local businesses reaping the reward.
Former Southern Downs Mayor and president of Warwick Chamber of Commerce Tracy Dobie said that this summer is looking busier than ever, with people looking to their own backyard for holidays.
"Australian's are filling the hole, we've been seeing that for a number of months now," she said.
"They're looking for holidays and local experiences because there's no international travel.
"People are already saying they're booked up to Christmas, where they never have been before."
Donna Fraser from the Glengallan Homestead said that her business has seen a big spike since re-opening from lockdown.
"This year, the combined effects of people coming out of COVID restrictions and the added attraction of sunflowers has definitely been a boost to heritage tourism," she said.
Ms Dobie said that the spectacle is a matter of coincidence, and that farmers plant them for purely financial incentives.
"Farmers don't plant the sunflowers for visitors, they plant the sunflowers as an income," she said.
"I grew up around Warwick and I remember as a kid driving to Toowoomba, and we would see these big sunflowers and just took it for granted because it has been here all our lives.
"It started to change around 2014, that's when the real numbers started to grow."
The power of social media
Brisbane day trippers Ann and Will Preece took their newborn Arthur to see the sunflowers after finding the trail on Instagram, with grandmother Diana Ketchin tagging along.
"It's marvellous, we spent the day in town and visited the cafe and the pub," Ms Ketchin said.
Trevor Lampard from the Gold Coast said he was in the area to mountain climb and thought he would also come and see the ocean of sunflowers after seeing them on Instagram.
"You see a lot more things to do now, you're encouraged to get out more," he said.
"We've been locked in Queensland, so what better excuse to come see these things?"
Daniel Angus from QUT's Digital Media Research Centre said the desire for people to get a photo with the sunflowers is due to their "Instragramability".
"Instagramability is when there's qualities of particular themes, places or moments that make something easily transferable for the view of someone using Instagram," he said.
"Previously these things would have been described as photogenic, but the idea of Instagramability is that it also includes the reception by the audience."
