Tourists reveal what they think of Far North Queensland
For the first time in two years the Far North has finally been able to put on a show for a large number of tourists and they haven’t been let down. WHAT THE VISITORS THOUGHT
Cairns
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EXPERIENCE-hungry travellers have awarded the Cairns region with top marks as a holiday destination, highlighting the Far North’s cleanliness, family-friendly vibe and affordable dining options as key drawcards.
The tropical north has put on its best face for a wave of school holiday tourists, providing businesses with a desperately-needed boost to finances and morale levels.
Tropical Tourism North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen said 94,000 visitors passed through Cairns Airport last week and 77,000 travelled here during the first week of the Queensland school holidays.
Despite initial concerns, staffing levels across the tourism and hospitality industries had stood up to the challenge of an influx of travellers.
“With COVID-19 cases increasing in the region, we were concerned about staffing, but fortunately the relaxation of vaccination requirements helped,” Mr Olsen said.
“Business owners and operators have been working tirelessly to plug workforce gaps and not impact service knowing that our people are an essential ingredient for memorable tourism experiences.
“Restaurants managed by staggering openings, while the takeaway stores were pushing through incredible numbers of meals for those who couldn’t get a booking.”
Many tourists were not left disappointed with what the Far North has to offer.
Katrina Warren from Sydney said her family were able to see the Great Barrier Reef, Atherton Tablelands and the Daintree.
“I thought it was really family friendly, we’ve been able to eat out quite reasonably. We’ve also had an Air Bnb so we have been able to cook and the facilities have been great,” Ms Warren said.
One thing, Ms Warren noted before leaving Cairns was its cleanliness.
“It’s just so clean and everything is so organised like the sporting facilities, the lagoon. It’s great, I wish Sydney was this clean.”
Sharyn Griffin from Melbourne said she was very impressed with what Cairns has become since she last came.
“We think it’s great for families, we’ve got grandchildren that will love it. It’s not what we remember,” she said.
“We remember there weren’t many places. But now there’s lots of good restaurants and bars.”
One of her favourite destinations was Port Douglas because of the laid back atmosphere. Many others also enjoyed the destination.
“Occupancy was high with places like Port Douglas reporting more than 95% over Easter and strong bookings through to the September school holidays,” Mr Olsen said.
With many tourists not disappointed, Mr Olsen believes there will be more to come especially with the next two long weekends.
“Winter was always been the season of choice for southerners to visit, but they had been discovering that our shoulder seasons were just as good for a tropical break,” he said.
“With the return of the international and cruise markets, we hope to see numbers grow again in summer to keep our destination busy beyond October.”
TOURISTS TALK: HOW DO YOU RATE CAIRNS AND THE FAR NORTH?
Kate McBride, South Australia
“We’ve come up here on a family holiday and while the rain changed our plans a bit, we’ll still be getting out and doing out full of activities because there is just so much to do.”
Richard Bateman, South Australia
“It’s been a while since we’ve been in Cairns. We normally head straight to Port Douglas, but it’s really stepped up. It’s really good for the family and there’s something here for everyone.”
Graham Griffin, Melbourne
“I love it, it’s fantastic. I came here about 23 years ago and you wouldn’t know the place. It’s very nice. We were in Port Douglas for a week. The restaurants and the esplanade here (Cairns) are great. Very different, these were all just a swamp when we came here last time.”
Michelle Britton from Lake Macquarie
“It’s quite affordable here. There’s also plenty to do that you don’t have to spend a lot of money. When you are on holiday you expect to spend a bit extra.”
Kaitlyn Britton from Lake Macquarie
“I really enjoying going to Kuranda and visiting the butterfly sanctuary. I find it’s very educational and quite magical in there. Cairns is an amazing place, it’s quite beautiful, the scenery is amazing and there’s so much to do.”
Scott Lyons, Geelong
“We’ve been up here for nine days. But we’ve managed to do everything. We’ve done Kuranda scenic train and skyrail, Mossman Gorge and Behana Gorge, and then we’ve had a couple of lazy days around the aquarium. The weather hasn’t stopped us at all, it’s been no dramas, and we’ve had some perfect days.”
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