Queensland tourist towns hit pre-COVID heights in green shoots of recovery

The state’s battered tourism industry has celebrated a significant milestone in the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Queensland’s battered tourism industry is turning the corner as new research reveals parts of the state have recorded the best hotel booking figures since before the coronavirus pandemic.

Data from SiteMinder, which runs multinational accommodation websites including Booking.com and Trivago, shows Australian hotel bookings are stronger than any time during the pandemic, with Queensland leading the charge.

The World Hotel Index reveals bookings for Cairns and Townsville in April are significantly higher than the corresponding period two years ago, when the pandemic was yet to wreak havoc across the globe.

True cost of COVID-19 on Queensland tourism revealed

According to the index, April bookings in Cairns were incredibly 30 per cent higher than in April 2019, while Townsville (up 28 per cent) was not far behind in an encouraging sign for north Queensland, which has been one of the hardest hit regions in the country since travel descended into chaos over a year ago.

Matt and Tash Black and their two daughters Shondray, 5, and Savannah, 3, enjoy a post COVID holiday at the Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort as new figures reveal the region is welcoming more visitors than in pre-COVID times. Picture: Brendan Radke

The findings are even more extraordinary given how much north Queensland relies on international travel, which has all but disappeared over the past 12 months.

The Gold Coast was also a solid performer, with bookings at 94 per cent of April 2019 levels.

The data comes after Tourism Research Australia last week reported that January was the best month for the Queensland tourism industry since the start of the pandemic, while the state’s airports have reported huge numbers over the Easter holidays.

Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Daniel Gschwind said the new data, coming as major airlines Qantas and Virgin outline recovery plans, could help “break the shackles”.

“Operators can take a great deal of confidence from these sorts of figures,” he said.

“It confirms what we always hoped would happen, which is that the pent-up demand for travel would eventually be released and break the shackles.”

Townsville, Ingham, Bowen named finalist in Queensland Top Tourism Town

Tourism Tropical North Queensland Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen said domestic demand for the Cairns and Great Barrier region was very high after a particularly successful Easter.

QLD_CP_NEWS_NAOMI_WILSON_23MAR21

“This year we had the Eastern seaboard school holidays align straight after Easter which created a very strong peak period for visitation,” he said.

Almost 73,000 passengers travelled through Cairns airport in the week starting April 5, bringing capacity back to 90 per cent of what it was for the same period in 2019.

Cairns tourism industry relief at Easter holiday booking surge

Cairns-New Zealand travel bubble to boost FNQ tourism recovery

Townsville Enterprise director of visitor economy and marketing Lisa Woolfe ((SUBS NOTE: correct spelling)) said the SiteMinder findings were “an encouraging sign”.

“It holds us in good stead for forward bookings leading into winter and the relaunch of our events calendar,” she said.

“This comes off the back of the Federal Government’s half price flight scheme which we’re seeing strong capacity building from Sydney and Melbourne into Townsville.

“Our region has been working hard on reactivating travel and coupled with no community transmissions throughout the pandemic, North Queensland is viewed as an attractive and safe destination to visit.”