Locked out: Lockdown hits Stanthorpe accommodation hard with close to 100 per cent room vacancies

Just one week ago the Granite Belt community was excitedly awaiting thousands of tourists expected to flock to the region for Snowflakes in Stanthorpe. Now COVID lockdown has left motels deserted and operators face a long road to recovery.

Granite Belt Cabins owner Craig Gee said his business has been completely “wiped out” following the lockdown announcement on Tuesday. Photo: Madison Mifsud-Ure / Stanthorpe Border Post

Accommodation providers in the Granite Belt have been dealt yet another blow, with a snap lockdown in Brisbane and southeast Queensland forcing Snowflakes visitors to cancel their stay.

Snowflakes in Stanthorpe is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for the local tourism industry, particularly for accommodation providers.

Despite the event given the go ahead on Tuesday afternoon, a sudden spike in Queensland’s COVID cases has many Granite Belt motel owners fearing the flow on effects of the lockdown and loss of business will be felt long after restrictions ease.

Granite Belt Cabins owner Craig Gee said his business has been completely “wiped out” with more than 20 booking cancellations for this weekend, following the lockdown announcement on Tuesday.

“We were full and now we still have some bookings but only very minimal,” he said.

“We usually get a steady take of room bookings online but since the lockdown everything’s stopped, with people not even booking in advance for future stays.”

Granite Belt Cabins owner Craig Gee said he’s had over 20 booking cancellations for this weekend since the lockdown announcement. Photo: Madison Mifsud-Ure / Stanthorpe Border Post

Mr Gee said of the 15 rooms, he will only have six to 15 per cent occupancy over the coming days.

“When you lose three of your top days of Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the lingering effects are sure to continue,” he said.

“Usually when someone cancels, someone else picks it up but this time there are no bookings.”

Mr Gee said business has been “terrible” during COVID but the loss of bookings at such a late stage of a typical “busy” period, would have dire impacts on his financial stability.

“There’s nothing we can do to stop the situation but it’s like getting smacked in the mouth again, especially after losing business at Easter time during our last lockdown,” he said.

Apple and Grape Motel owner Steve Ward said the lockdown was also having a negative impact on his business with “cancellations all the time”.

“Any cancellations come at a cost of course, but there is nothing we can do about it,” he said.

With lockdown currently expected to be lifted at 6pm on Friday, both owners’ hope this will be the case or else they expect more cancellations and significant decreases in future bookings.