The chief executive of tourism, ferry and bus company Kelsian Group, which operates the ferry to Kangaroo Island in South Australia, a string of ferry services in Queensland and the Kingfisher Resort on Fraser Island, says forward bookings are up 30 per cent on last year in a sign of improving optimism.

Clint Feuerherdt said the late December and early January period of “bunkering down” in the early stages of the omicron wave in Australia had been replaced by a cautious optimism which was gradually building. Queensland destinations are particularly popular.