Easter tourism bonanza could set new Brisbane, Gold Coast airports’ record

If you’re headed to the airport this weekend get ready to join the queue! Brisbane and Gold Coast airports are likely to hit all-time passenger records thanks to bumper tourism numbers.

Queensland’s tourism industry has performed its own Easter resurrection with a record-breaking weekend filling hotels, restaurants and airports across the state.

In the first Easter for three years free of lockdowns, border closures and travel restrictions, holiday-makers have voted with their feet in an extraordinary sign that Queensland is bursting free of the shackles of the coronavirus pandemic, kickstarting the industry ahead of a stream of long weekends in the coming months.

Brisbane and Gold Coast airports are tipped to threaten all-time passenger records for domestic travel over the next two days while hotels and resorts are also experiencing their best booking numbers in more than two years.

Activity at Brisbane Airport was expected to peak on Sunday or Monday with the culmination of Queenslanders returning for the resumption of school and interstate travellers arriving, with the buzz of tourism activity to continue into Anzac Day and Labour Day.

Taylor Reid (centre) with partner Victoria, brother Nathan, and Chloe and Oliver at Brisbane Airport for start of Easter Holidays. Picture: Richard Walker

Taylor Reid flew into Brisbane from Melbourne on Friday to spend the Easter break with his brother and little niece and nephew — a luxury which has been incredibly rare over the last two years.

“It has been a mission to get back here (since the pandemic locked down borders),” he said.

“Now being able to come up whenever we want is awesome, it’s the best — it seems a bit normal now.”

The state government’s removal of restrictions and check-in mandates earlier this week have been a blessing for the Rogers family on the Gold Coast.

“It’s been the most stress free Easter we’ve had for a while, just feeling like we’re finally back to some sort of normal and not having to explain to the kids why we can’t go anywhere due to Covid lockdowns,” Melinda Rogers said.

“You can see the vibe across the Gold Coast has changed this weekend too — the weather is perfect and everyone is just out to have fun.”

Rogers family Melinda and David with Zavier, 3, Maverick, 7, and Havarna, 8, celebrating Easter at Currumbin on the Gold Coast. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Research from the Tourism and Transport Forum this week revealed an extraordinary 52 per cent of Aussies were heading on holiday this weekend with Queensland’s Gold Coast the top destination in the country.

That has been backed up by new data from travel giants Booking.com, which showed Queensland taking out four of the top 10 destinations across the country.

According to Booking.com, the Gold Coast took out the top spot, while Cairns (fifth), Airlie Beach (ninth) and Brisbane (tenth) were also standouts.

For Airlie, booking demand far exceeds that of 2019, while Port Douglas and Noosa performing strongly to make the top 20.

Brisbane Airport was buzzing over the Easter weekend. Picture: Richard Walker

The travel boom has placed pressure on airports across the country, with Brisbane and the Gold Coast expecting to threaten domestic passenger records tomorrow ((SUBS Sun)) and Monday.

Airport terminals, often resembling ghost towns in the past two years, have burst to life, with retailers reaping the rewards.

Brisbane Airport spokesman Stephen Beckett said the terminal was well-prepared for the incoming influx and there should be no repeat of the chaotic scenes witnessed in southern airports.

“Thirty minutes has been about the longest people are having to wait to get through screening,” he said.

“We are still recommending people to turn up two hours early and to check in online if you can.”

Brisbane passenger numbers across the holidays have almost tripled the corresponding figures last Easter.

Crowds at Brisbane Airport on Friday. Picture: Richard Walker

On the Gold Coast, all-time April records set during the city’s stint as host of the Commonwealth Games in 2018 could be shattered, with 28,000 passengers expected on Monday.

It comes as the return of overseas visitors also ramp up for the first time in more than two years with an increasing number of international routes restarting in the past two weeks including Brisbane-Los Angeles, Gold Coast-Auckland and Gold Coast-Singapore.

Flight Centre boss Graham Turner said business was beginning to flow from a wide range of international markets, including New Zealand, Singapore, United Kingdom and Europe.

But he warned the return of international spending to pre-pandemic levels will be a slow burn given China’s reluctance to open borders and Australia’s reliance on the Asian market.

“International capacity hasn’t really come back properly here (Queensland),” Mr Turner said.

“The big region missing at the moment is obviously Asia which is still fairly closed because of the quarantine requirements.

“There’s a few big things that need to happen before we get that inbound tourism back to pre-Covid levels.”

Infectious disease expert Robert Booy said the increased movement and mingling at popular tourism destinations from domestic travel provides the threat of Covid spread, however, particularly in the cooler months when the population is more vulnerable to disease.

He said unequivocally “we will get a surge in respiratory infections around the country” at Easter.

“And because it has more of the tourists because it’s a warmer tourist attraction, Queensland will have a bigger problem than the rest of the country,” the University of Sydney professor said.

“There is no doubt that there are several different viral infections that will increase and one of them could be Covid and another would be influenza.”