Whitsundays tourism recovery gets boost with international Covid rule
New international travel rules could boost visitor numbers to the Whitsundays, but the major change in quarantine rules will not deliver the instant economic injection the region needs.
Business
Don't miss out on the headlines from Business. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Whitsundays has snagged a New Year boost with new travel rules set to open up access to more tourists and foreign labour.
The rules, now in effect, mean travellers from overseas are no longer required to quarantine if they can show a negative rapid antigen test within 24 hours of their arrival.
But Tourism Whitsundays CEO Rick Hamilton warns the return to pre-Covid tourism has only just begun.
“The major change is the fact that when people want to come directly into Queensland they don’t need to quarantine for two weeks,” he said.
“So essentially what’s happening is that we’re aligning with NSW and Victoria.
And that’s obviously good for us, we don’t want them (tourists and workers) to go to NSW or Victoria.”
Mr Hamilton noted a range of federal restrictions remain in place, all dampening the flow of people to the Whitsundays.
Only existing student and working holiday visa holders will be able to re-enter the country and quarantine-free travel is in place for a limited number of ‘travel bubble’ countries such as New Zealand.
And as Omicron builds to its peak, other nations have begun to list Australia as a ‘hotspot’.
“I don’t think we’re going to see that international reopening happening pretty quickly,” Mr Hamilton said.
“The focus will continue to be domestic (tourism).
“I think international will take a while for it to return, even to pre-Covid levels.
“Even the airlines are talking 2024, when airlines get back the capacity pre-Covid.”
Nonetheless, Mr Hamilton emphasised the new rules were a small step in the right direction.
“It’s positive, it’s just going to be a bit of a slow burn,” he said.
Despite Covid’s ruptures, demand for the Whitsundays is as high as it has ever been.
The Tourism Sentiment Index released its Leading Places: The 100 Most Loved Destinations Around the World for 2021, and the Whitsundays came in at number two, beating out international tourist meccas such as Las Vegas (number 32) and Phuket (52).
The rankings are based on consumer sentiment, generated by more than 1.6 billion online conversations and content pieces publicly available about 21,330 global destinations.
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast took out the top spot while Mackay was ranked at 77 ahead of Park City, Utah (78), home to the Sundance Film Festival, and Dubrovnik, Croatia (85).
Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson heralded Mackay’s top 100 position.
“To rank so highly in a list of most-loved destinations worldwide is tremendous and shows that our vision is far from a pie-in-the-sky idea,” he said.
“When people love to visit, it’s because they’ve had a great experience, with friendly people, amazing natural wonders and sensational food.
We have all of those things and that’s why we are so passionate about promoting the liveability of our region and why we are so proud to call Mackay home.”
The European large SUV that has close links with Lamborghini and Bentley
The Volkswagen Touareg large SUV shares its lineage with an Audi, Lambo and Bentley.
‘Worth every dollar’: Popcorn, doughnuts food truck price halved
After a year of appearing at events and markets around the Mackay-Whitsundays, a confectionary food van famous for its loaded popcorn bowls is looking for someone to take up the torch.