Coronavirus Gold Coast: Tourism bosses push for borders, restaurants and theme parks to reopen

Australia's top tourism boss is urging the State Government to reopen the Queensland border, revealing the three things needed to save the city’s economy.

AUSTRALIA'S top tourism boss is urging State Government to reopen the Queensland border, restaurants and theme parks, saying the Gold Coast cannot survive on internal visitors alone.

Tourism Australia chair Bob East joined senior industry figures yesterday to call on State Government to further loosen COVID restrictions and bring the Gold Coast out of an economic deep freeze.

The top tourism bosses say the city needs three things to happen for its economy to be rebooted.

“The border is the top issue and nothing should distract from this because the Gold Coast cannot survive on intrastate travellers alone. It is just not sustainable,” he said.

“People come here for the weather and beaches but also come for events and theme parks. Unless we can get them to open up in an appealing way it will be to tourism’s detriment.

“This means we need to get enough people into (restaurants and theme parks) to make it sustainable for the operators and good from a customer point of view.

“We have all dined in restaurants lately where there is 10 or less people and the experience is not fabulous.”

Bob East. Picture: David Geraghty.

Mr East, based on the Gold Coast, said there would be no chance for international visitors to return to the city before Christmas at this stage, meaning the future of the $6 billion industry lay on dramatically ramping up domestic interstate tourism.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has refused to entertain reopening the border until she deems it “safe”. The Prime Minister is among those urging Queensland to reconsider. The number two federal health Adviser has said he can’t understand why state borders are shut.

The Queensland Government is expected to review the closure at the end of the month.

Business leaders are pinning hopes on borders reopening and a resumption of interstate travel by July 10 but Ms Palaszczuk has echoed her chief health Adviser Dr Jeannette Young who said last month September was “more likely”.

The Coast's tourism industry is on ice while borders remain closed. Picture: Jerad Williams

She has cited community transmission in NSW and Victoria as reasons.

Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan said he shared the same three priorities as Mr East: “We need to open the borders, get the theme parks open and allow restaurants and pubs to operate more freely.

“This all leads to getting the airport going again but when people get here, they need to have places to go for fun and places they can eat and drink.

Destination Gold Coast boss Paul Donovan. Picture: Tertius Pickard

“Theme parks drive day visitation and weekend stays and it is my hope we will also get to see a trans-Tasman travel bubble open up.”

Frustrated business, real estate and tourism industry leaders last week staged a protest against the border closures. Some operators have accused Mayor Tom Tate – who has backed Ms Palaszczuk’s border position – for leaving them “high and dry”.

The National Retailers Association warns Gold Coast small business operators had borne the brunt of the $400 million lost in March.

CEO Dominique Lamb said retailers in tourism areas were worse affected than others.

“In tourist areas it is certainly worse because they heavily rely on the discretional spend of visitors as they come in and out and particularly as we head towards the likely end of JobKeeper and reduction in Jobseeker funding things will be really tough,” she said.

“The Gold Coast’s retailers will feel this more than others and while the borders are closed it will be much hard for tourism operators.

“We can encourage as much intrastate travel as possible but the reality is the economy is struggling.”