‘Open for business’: Townsville ready for tourists after Cyclone Kirrily

Sunrise host Sam Mac was spotted filming at The Strand Rockpool nearly a week after ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily showing the rest of Australia the North is back in business.

Sunrise host Sam Mac with staff from Billabong Sanctuary, Townsville.

North Queensland is open for business – that is the message the region is keen to share with the rest of Australia.

Tropical Cyclone Kirrily may have put a dent in morale in the North for a few days, but now the region is ready for tourists to enjoy summer in paradise.

National morning breakfast show Sunrise hit The Strand on Wednesday morning, showing the cyclone isn’t slowing us down.

Host Sam Mac was spotted filming at The Strand Rockpool, with a host of North Queensland’s sporting heroes and tourism businesses making an appearance.

Even in the ever-changing weather, a dramatic sunrise over Magnetic Island provided the perfect background for the live cross to Channel 7’s studio in Sydney, showing off some of the best Townsville has to offer.

Staff from Billabong Sanctuary, Queensland Museum Tropics and team members from Townsville Fire and the NRLW Cowboys were flanked by local cheerleaders, Analise and Emily, who performed an early-morning dance routine showing just how excited they are to continue welcoming travellers and holiday-makers enjoying the final leg of the holiday season.

Basketball player for Townsville Fire, Majella Carey, said when it comes down to it, it’s really the community she gets to play in front of that makes Townsville the place to be.

“What’s special about this place is the community engagement. Everyone really gets around us and our crowds are awesome,” she said.

Sunrise host Sam Mac with Cowboys cheerleaders Analise and Emily.

However, the economic toll of Cyclone Kirrily and Cyclone Jasper further north, have been felt in the region.

According to Townsville Enterprise, an estimated $18m in booking cancellations across Townsville North Queensland have reflected record lows for this time of year.

Townsville Enterprise CEO Claudia Brumme-Smith said while they were pleased to see the region getting back to business after a challenging six weeks, she fears there is still a long road ahead.

“While we know the region experienced some minor infrastructure damage, the real

impact has been felt financially,” Ms Brumme-Smith said.

“Despite businesses starting to reopen, some within the industry are reporting forward bookings as low as 3 per cent compared to the same period last year in the lead-up to Easter,” she said.

“The latest economic data suggests that for the city’s closure on Thursday 25 January, the Townsville North Queensland economy experienced over $24.1m in lost wages in that one day from Cyclone Kirrily. We know this is only part of the story – with many businesses forced to close for longer periods.”

Townsville Enterprise is encouraging travellers to region to the region and enjoy the best entertainment, tourism and hospitality the region has to offer.

“As our tourism and hospitality industry start to reopen their doors following Cyclone Kirrily we are asking our locals to support these businesses. This is an industry that supports more than 7,000 jobs locally and right now they need support,” Ms Brumme-Smith said.

“While you’re out exploring our backyard, make sure you share your experience on social media by using the hashtag #townsvillenorthqueensland; this is the easiest way to show the world Townsville North Queensland is indeed open for business.”

Originally published as ‘Open for business’: Townsville ready for tourists after Cyclone Kirrily