IT'S official - Cairns is such a good holiday destination even the city's residents are booking in for a break.

Locals are spending weekends at resorts just a couple of kilometres from home, while visitors continue to flock from far and wide. And now Cairns has been named Australia’s Touring Destination of the Year 2010 by a top caravaning magazine.

Jenny Tonkin, of Cairns Coconut Holiday Resort, said the accolade by Caravan World magazine is "extremely important" at a time when many Australians were tightening their belts by holidaying at home. She added that increasing numbers were from literally just down the road.

"We have people come to stay with us who live on Anderson Rd," Ms Tonkin said, adding that more than 12 per cent of guests live locally.

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 "We also get people doing the big trip, travelling round Australia. The great Aussie road trip is back in fashion. We have people who come to see Cairns as an iconic part of Australia. The reason they come is to see the beautiful attractions. There’s so much for people to do that they’ll come back every few years and still find something new."

Caravaners Ted and Pam Taylor from Melbourne reckon you have to go a long way to rival Cairns as a
holiday retreat.

Since buying their caravan 12 years ago the retirees have spent four or five months of every year here.

"How can you argue about the weather?" Mrs Taylor said. "And you can meet the nicest people.

"There’s so much to do in Cairns. We just love it. The only problem is that time flies when we’re up here."

Mr Taylor added that Cairns’ tropical climate is the perfect accompaniment to the caravaning lifestyle.

"You sit out here and you can virtually talk to the world – to everyone passing. There’s a good community," he said. "The only thing I miss being up here is the football – Collingwood."

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