Noosa accommodation provider at Elanda Point details COVID-19 recovery struggles

Fight back after award-winning Noosa eco camp beside idyllic Lake Cootharaba was forced to close the 26ha holiday stay.

The award-winning Habitat Noosa eco camp is battling back from COVID-19s booking cancellations.

A leading Sunshine Coast eco-tourism operator says his Habitat Noosa camping and Everglades tour experiences are yet to fully recover from a COVID-19 battering last year.

Businessman Wade Batty was forced to temporarily shut down his national award-winning Elanda Point glamping operation, laying off more than 70 staff.

Ideal sunsets beside one of Noosa’s fabulous lakes is among the reasons campers are returning to Elanda Point.

The pandemic wiped out his packed Easter bookings after his eco camp experience took out a gold award in the New Tourism Business category at the Australian Tourism Awards last year.

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Mr Batty was closed the 26ha holiday stay beside Lake Cootharaba for three months.

But his business has just successfully completed a recruiting drive for kitchen staff including chefs after a $1 million upgrade.

"We've managed to survive, we're going OK and getting ourselves back on our feet," Mr Batty said.

"It's still not perfect (business) conditions, the national visitors are still not here."

Habitat Noosa operator Wade Batty would love to see a return of more interstate visitors.

Mr Batty said for the second year in a row their fortunes were setback "big time" by a COVID lockdown right on the eve of Good Friday and then by rain.

He said overall his operation had probably recovered "a bit less than 80 per cent" of its pre-shutdown business which relied heavily on international and interstate stays.

"We're fortunate in a way we've got that local Brisbane, Gold Coast market to support us," Mr Batty said.

"We've been surprised - there's been a lot of Queenslanders coming up to have a look around."

Originally published as Noosa eco resort hiring again after pandemic hit