Businesses optimistic ahead of border reopenings and Covid ‘explosion’
Hotels and restaurants are bracing for an onslaught as the Far North finally reopens to southern tourists – and the inevitable Covid surge they will bring.
Cairns
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cairns. Followed categories will be added to My News.
STRONG domestic demand will keep Far North accommodation providers busy through the month of December and into January, with hopes that growing confidence off the back of border reopenings will translate into more bookings.
But it will be the return of international travel that will truly lift the tourism sector out of the Covid-19 induced doldrums its been languishing in since March 2020.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen said the industry was reporting strong domestic demand – the vast majority of which is from Queenslanders – from Monday through to mid-January.
But occupancy rates will fall from above 70 per cent in the first week of the New Year to 25-30 per cent by the end of January, “quite a way down on where we would normally be”, Mr Olsen said, noting it was typically peak season for international travellers.
Mr Olsen said he was still hopeful that Australians were waiting to see what happened on Monday when the Queensland Government throws open its borders to vaccinated travellers from across the country.
Interestingly, Mr Olsen said quite a lot of hire car bookings were being held into January, though that was yet to transfer through to flights and accommodation bookings.
“It’s another sign we could have quite a strong January, with everyone waiting to see just how the omicron variant and the border openings hold up, and of course the weather,” he said.
Ahead of Monday’s border reopening, the State Government announced major changes to quarantine requirements and cleaning arrangements for businesses in light of what it says is an impending Covid-19 “explosion” as thousands pour into Queensland from hot spots around the country.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath on Saturday announced new guidelines for businesses when dealing with Covid cases.
“If you are a close contact and you are vaccinated, from January 1 you will only need to quarantine for seven days,” she said.
It’s also been revealed businesses that are exposure sites do not need to undertake a deep clean.
The Minister conceded businesses have done it tough over the past two years.
“We know that with staff shortages, particularly in the hospitality sector, this is really going to be beneficial for them,” she said.
Casual contacts will need to immediately get tested but only quarantine until their test result comes back.
Unvaccinated close contacts will still need to get tested and isolate for 14 days.
Nu Nu Restaurant co-owner Jason Rowbottom said the quarantine rules were another layer of difficulty for businesses to contend with, as was policing their guests’ vaccination status – but that they were “just going to have to deal with it”.
The business is already contending with losing seven staff due to vaccination mandates and with a nationwide staff shortage, the reopening of borders probably won’t help with replacing them.
“We’re all in the same boat,” he said.
Mr Rowbottom admitted that it was going to be hard for businesses if more than one person got infected in the workplace.
But he said the removal of the requirement for businesses who are Covid-19 exposure sites to deep clean was a “big tick”.
“No one wants to get shut down. We’ve got to live with the virus and this is how we’re going to do it because its going to come here and its going to come around. Shutting businesses down is not going to get rid of it.”
He said his team was looking forward to a busy period over Christmas.
Meanwhile, Cairns businessman Fintan Rafferty, who can count Salt House and Floriana Guest House among his operations, said he was happy that the borders were reopening.
“I think it’s going to give families certainty to book a holiday and visit our region,” he said.
“Of course, it’s most likely at some point it will bring Covid with it but we can’t stay protected forever. It’s great that everyone’s getting out and getting vaccinated.”
He said forward bookings at Floriana were “very solid” over Christmas and into January.
“I’m feeling very hopeful for 2022 and hoping its going to be a better year for everyone,” he said.
Looking ahead into the New Year, Mr Olsen said there was a “dramatic spike” in forward bookings at Easter time and he was hearing good things for June and July, with lots of bookings out of the southern states already confirmed and held in the system.
“I think the operators have done an enormous amount of work over last six months to build awareness and build future booking pipelines and I think all people need now is the confidence to go ahead and confirm those bookings,” he said.
“We’re still optimistic about international travellers returning end of first quarter / early second quarter in 2022, particularly with the vaccination rate climbing so quickly over last couple of weeks.”
He said it was key for State and Federal Governments to get behind international destinations like Cairns and the Gold Coast and “really unleash Australia’s tourism potential once again”.
The to the latest Federal Government data, 89.3 per cent of people in the Cairns local government area have received a first dose of the vaccine, while the second dose rate is 78.9 per cent.
The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service administered 1011 vaccine doses on Saturday.
More Coverage
Originally published as Businesses optimistic ahead of border reopenings and Covid ‘explosion’
Cyclist suffers ‘significant injuries’ in solo crash south of Cairns
A Far North cyclist is recovering in hospital with “significant injuries” after crashing into a stationary vehicle.
Rising stars set to shine in AFLW’s Cairns curtain raiser
Future Cairns AFLW prospects will showcase their skills in front of some of the game’s top stars with a take-no-prisoners midfielder and silky-smooth ruck ready to renew hostilities at Cazalys stadium later this month.