Queensland tourism poised for Easter extravaganza this year

Queensland’s tourism revival is gathering pace, with new figures giving the state an enviable title.

Easter is officially making a splash for Queensland tourism.

Holiday bookings across the state for the school holidays are soaring to the kind of levels not seen since the start of the coronavirus pandemic two years ago, as open borders, relaxed restrictions and renewed traveller confidence combine.

Queensland takes out three of the top four Aussie destinations for April according to travel booking giants Wotif, with the Gold Coast first, Sunshine Coast third and Cairns fourth.

Further north, Port Douglas is also sitting at almost 90 per cent occupancy for Easter in a sign the worst of the pandemic could finally be in the rear view window.

It comes with new statistics from Tourism Research Australia again proving that Queensland has weathered the Covid storm better than any other state while Brisbane Airport is expected to reach domestic passenger numbers not seen since 2019 over the coming fortnight.

Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Daniel Gschwind said there was a lot to be excited about.

“We’re very optimistic for all parts of Queensland for Easter and beyond,” he said.

QT Gold Coast is looking forward to bumper Easter holiday crowds. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Brisbane Airport is expected to reach tallies of 50,000-plus daily passengers over the Easter break, while international arrivals are also slowly climbing since the restart of several routes, including Qantas’ LA service which resumed on Friday.

International interest in Queensland holiday destinations has also spiked 30 per cent in the weeks since overseas travellers were free to visit, according to leading travel website Expedia.

Travellers from the United States, New Zealand, Singapore, and Germany make up the highest number of searches into Australia, with these five countries accounting for nearly 65% of all searches.

It is shaping as a bumper season for the Gold Coast, with many hotels and resorts already full.

QT Gold Coast General Manager Dominic Rose said early indications were extremely positive for the weeks ahead.

“It is an exciting time for tourism on the Gold Coast with bookings looking very healthy over the Easter holiday period,” he said.

According to TRA statistics, Queensland’s tourism industry was the best performer in the country last year, generating almost $17 billion in expenditure – only marginally less than 2019 and almost double the figure from 2020.

Queensland’s domestic tourism expenditure was also well clear of main rivals NSW and Victoria, which endured longer lockdowns and more protracted Covid outbreaks.

Both interstate and intrastate traveller numbers were up significantly on last year, though still short on 2019 numbers.

However, industry leaders expect competition to become intense with WA borders now open and Aussies also gaining more freedoms to choose overseas holidays which have been off the table for more than two years.