Jobs boom as Qld border opening news sparks tourism bonanza

Queenslanders can expect a spike in job advertisements as tourism businesses scramble to serve the incoming hordes making snap bookings based on today’s border opening news.

Queensland’s surge of southern visitors is set to spark a jobs boom as tourism businesses scramble to serve the incoming hordes.

With travel bookings soaring since Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s announcement that residents from Greater Sydney and Victoria will be free to visit Queensland from December 1, tourism and hospitality operators are expected to advertise thousands of jobs.

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Many tourism businesses still have staff stood down on JobKeeper payments who will be called back into action, but already theme park giant Village Roadshow has confirmed it will advertise about 500 summer positions that were put on ice during the border uncertainty.

The Queensland Premier has announced changes to the border restrictions and says that no more police will be needed to patrol the state's borders with New South Wales. Police at the Griffith St, Coolangatta, border site Picture: Jerad Williams

Positions ranging from Santa’s elves and Carnivale street performers to lifeguards and ride attendants will become available by the end of the month as the company braces for the expected flood of NSW and Victorian tourists over the Christmas holidays.

The two southern capitals are our biggest tourism markets, worth about $20 million a day to the state’s economy.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk holding a press conference on the Speakers Green at Parliament House. Pic Peter Wallis.

Just days out from the Queensland election, Village announced a jobs freeze on hundreds of positions traditionally required for the December-to-Easter period.

However, with the news that the border barricades would come down next week, the company will embark on a recruiting drive.

In addition to active recruiting, the decision is set to save thousands of other positions which have been in standby mode on Jobkeeper payments since the pandemic began.

Some tourism operators had told The Courier-Mail they had been preparing to lay staff off heading into Christmas, but would now see them return to work to cater for the expected increase in trade.