Covid Gold Coast: Everything you need to know about Queensland international borders reopening
With Queensland reopening to the rest of the world, the state government is being urged to match NSW’s war chest for luring back international flights and visitors.
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Momentum is building behind a push for the Queensland state government to match NSW’s war chest for luring back international flights and visitors.
The Gold Coast’s tourism and airport bosses want more than $120m immediately poured into luring back international tourists and flights – as NSW has – or say Queensland will be left in other states’ jet streams.
NSW late last year put up $60m for a tourism investment fund aimed at luring travellers and international flights back after two years of Covid lockdowns. Sydney Airport matched the figure, taking the state’s war chest to $120 million.
Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Daniel Gschwind said it was critical the state had the “firepower” needed to draw in visitors.
“Clearly this will be an incredibly competitive global market as everyone tries to recovery as fast as possible,” he said.
“We are in a strong position but we need to have some firepower – enough to make a difference.
“The timing will need to be just right.”
Despite Queensland’s international borders reopening on Saturday, no new funding has been announced for luring more international flights, leaving tourism bosses fuming.
Both Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan and Queensland Airports CEO Chris Mill say they fear the city and state will get left behind as the recovery begins.
Mayor Tom Tate said the time was right to begin marketing the region again.
“Our record against New South Wales in rugby league State of Origin is phenomenal so let’s not drop the ball when it comes to international tourism marketing,” he said.
“I call on Tourism Australia (TA) and Tourism Events Queensland (TEQ) to invest in marketing campaigns that re-establish our major international travel markets. NS jumped out of the blocks last year and started to sell their destination internationally.
“I know Destination Gold Coast has been undertaking tactile marketing to ensure the relationships with our key markets have remained strong but now is the time for State and Federal funds to go into direct marketing to promote Queensland to the world.
“No one ever visits Queensland without finding their way to the Goldie.’’
‘We need more money, or else the Coast is going to lose’
The Gold Coast’s tourism and also airport boss are pleading with the Queensland State Government to match NSW’s war chest for luring back international flights and visitors.
They want more than $120m immediately poured into luring back international tourists and flights – as NSW has – or say Queensland will be left in other states’ jet streams.
NSW late last year put up $60m for a tourism investment fund aimed at luring travellers and international flights back after two years of Covid lockdowns. Sydney Airport matched the figure, taking the state’s war chest to $120m.
Despite Queensland’s international borders reopening on Saturday, no new funding has been announced for luring more international flights, leaving tourism bosses fuming.
Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said NSW’s fund proved other states were ahead of the game: “An aviation fund war chest is crucial in our fight to secure the lucrative international tourism market, and it is important we are not left behind.
“Attracting new routes and welcoming back existing routes in greater capacity is the foundation to our fightback.
“The Queensland tourism industry is united in our state’s recovery, and the State Government matching – if not exceeding – NSW’s commitment would be a welcomed and much-needed first step.’’
Queensland Airports CEO Chris Mills – who warned in October he was “concerned Queensland would fall behind when it comes to attracting international airlines” – said airlines were now asking questions about incentives to re-establish international services.
“The NSW Government has put $60 million on the table for airline incentives, which can be matched by industry – creating an $120 million overall fund,” he said.
“Queensland needs to set up a bigger pool, or flights and associated economic benefits will go elsewhere.
“Queensland has taken longer to reopen than other parts of the country and our economy is more heavily reliant on tourism – so we need to do more to restore international connections.
“International passengers spend more and direct airline connections deliver substantial economic benefits to destinations like the Gold Coast.”
Tourism, the Gold Coast’s biggest industry was worth more than $6bn to the economy in 2019. But two years of lockdowns and border closures have seen $5bn wiped off it.
The Gold Coast attracted more than half of all international holiday visitors to Queensland in 2019, more than any other state destination. It also attracted a million-plus international visitors annually pre-Covid.
Mr Mills said government investment would “unlock matching funds from airports and tourism bodies such as Destination Gold Coast, to support capacity recovery and growth”.
“Proactive, long-term support from government, working with industry, will maximise the ability of the state to secure flights with key airline partners,” he said.
Acting Tourism Minister Scott Stewart said his government “continued to work with overseas travel partners, airlines, and Queensland’s international airports on the restart of overseas tourism” but did not commit to further funding beyond the $10m put towards aviation recovery of domestic routes in the 2021 state budget.
“We’re currently supporting 35 domestic services delivering more than 537,000 seats and 1640 local jobs,” he said.
“It’s early days for global tourism, but the Palaszczuk Government will continue to invest in international flights and targeted overseas campaigns to help rebuild international visitor numbers for the economic recovery of Queensland tourism operators.”
In October, a tourism figure warned NSW and Victoria were throwing money at internationals: “They’ll be out pinching every event they can. We are going to miss (events and flights). It’s a huge problem. We’ll get crumbs if lucky.
What reopened international borders means for Coast
The reopening of Queensland’s international border won’t spark an instantaneous overseas influx, the city airport boss warns as he welcomes the certainty of a date.
But overall, Queensland Airports CEO and other political and business leaders have welcomed “a new beginning” for the tourism industry.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed double-vaccinated international travellers would be allowed into Queensland from 1am Saturday without having to quarantine.
Unvaccinated travellers will still have to complete 14-day mandatory quarantine upon arrival.
Queensland Airports CEO Chris Mills said Wednesday’s announcement had been a long time coming but warned the recovery would not be instantaneous.
“This gives airports and airlines the certainty we need to work together with government to re-establish routes,” he said.
“It won’t happen overnight, but we will see flights between Gold Coast Airport and various international destinations re-established in coming months.
“We are also talking to airlines about potential new destinations.”
The Gold Coast is one of three Queensland cities which will get international flights, along with Cairns and Brisbane.
Adding to the slow pace of the recovery, the US on Tuesday released a warning against travelling to Australia, citing the dramatic uptick in Covid infections.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said he was delighted by the announcement and said it would help continue the city’s economic recovery from Covid.
“This is a wonderful call by the Premier and I back it 100 per cent,” he said.
“We will be welcoming back international students as well – a lot of them call the Gold Coast their second home because they stay here as long as 12 months to two years to do their degrees.
“We can add to our tourism offerings.”
Mr Mills said work had continued on the Gold Coast Airport terminal expansion throughout the pandemic, and it would be ready for the facilitation of international passengers and services in late 2022.
“This terminal expansion will deliver a fresh, modern experience for international passengers using Gold Coast Airport,” he said.
“The project will support the recovery in flights between Australia and overseas destinations.”
Study Gold Coast CEO Alfred Slogrove said around 6500 overseas students with visas were ready to return to the city, an influx which will be worth more than $300m to the economy.
With today’s announcement, we are back in action – this is a huge step for us,” he said.
“We have already had students reach out to us to try and book flights so they can fly back in join us here on the Gold Coast.
“All of these students have been waiting two years to come back here.”
When overseas tourists will return to the Coast
The return of international tourists to the Gold Coast is imminent, with the state set to reach 90 per cent double-vaccinated this week
Tourism and business leaders are calling on the state government to unveil its road map to reopening the international borders and allowing both fully vaccinated visitors and foreign workers to return to the city.
The move, which will bring Queensland into line with NSW, take pressure off the city’s struggling hospitality industry and deliver a significant economic boost to the economy.
Tourism and Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond said the return of international workers would relieve pressure on the hospitality sector
“Bringing in international workers is highly necessary but no mistake everyone is going to be doing this too – it will be a highly competitive market,” she said.
“What we now need to do is have a strategy and look at the industry and what it has to offer and what support is necessary to have international tourists.”
Pre-Covid, the Gold Coast annually welcomed more than 1.3 million international visitors who contributed more than $1bn to the local economy.
The entire sector was worth $6bn into the city’s economy in 2019 before the pandemic left it crippled by border closures and health measures introduced to slow the spread.
Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Daniel Gschwind, who last week warned the peak of the Omicron wave would deliver a “diabolical month” for traders, said the time was right for a decision.
“The premier has made every indication that the border will reopen and we have come to grips with the fact that this virus is now endemic and it will make no difference if people are coming for Sydney or Singapore, as long as they are vaccinated and healthy,” he said.
“It is really important to get the traffic growing, not just for the tourism sector and operators for whom the international visitors are their main focus, but for people who want to see family and friends again.
“It is also essential to replenishing the workforce because we rely on skilled migrants for the economy.”
Many Gold Coast hospitality businesses have struggled with staff shortages in the near-two years since international borders closed.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the 90 per cent mark would be reached this week.
“That will allow vaccinated arrivals from countries where their vaccines are approved by our TGA to not quarantine on arrival,” he said. “There will continue to be a need for quarantine for some arrivals.”
Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said the industry was eagerly awaiting the state’s decision.
“We know that the return of international visitors is important for the full recovery of Gold Coast’s chief economic driver,” she said.
“With … the 90 per cent double vaccination milestone imminent, we look forward to what this will mean for the return of international travel.”
Coast businesses must get ready for a ‘diabolical’ month
GOLD Coast tourism businesses face a “diabolical” month, with the industry’s peak state body warning the Omicron peak will be the most difficult period since the pandemic’s beginning.
The spread of the highly contagious Covid variant is expected to reach its height in the final weeks of January and early February, crippling the final weeks of the school holidays.
It caps off a month of disappointments for the Gold Coast’s biggest industry, which had been counting on a boom once borders reopened on December 13.
While the border checkpoints will disappear on Saturday, Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Daniel Gschwind said more pain was coming.
“It is diabolical and this is probably the worst situation our industry has found itself in during the Covid crisis,” he said.
“The next few weeks are facing up to be the toughest period for our industry and they will have a significant impact.
“The idea is it will be short-term pain but the industry needs to be healthy to survive.”
He called on the federal and state governments to consider cashflow support for businesses struggling with large numbers of staff unable to work because they have Covid or are close household contacts.
“We need to revisit cashflow support because we are at risk of seeing the structure of many business decimated and their capacity for recovery damaged,’ he said.
“We were fearful at the beginning of this crisis in 2020 but this time many operators are genuinely at the point where they are wondering how to maintain viability.”
Food, staff and supply shortages this week forced the state government to allow a small number of workers across a range of professions to return to work in a limited capacity in order to keep the state functioning during the peak of the Omicron strain.
Queensland Airports CEO Chris Mills welcomed the elimination of domestic requirements for travellers entering the state from Saturday.
Those coming into Queensland will no longer be required to fill out a border pass or show a negative Covid-19 test.
Mr Mills said Gold Coast Airport passenger numbers had dropped to 50 per cent of 2019 levels this week and pre-departure testing requirements were a key reason less people were travelling.
“We have seen about 14,000 passengers a day on average coming through the airport from the start of the year,” he said.
“But the number has dropped this week to around 10,000 passengers a day.
“Challenges around pre-departure testing, including the availability of rapid antigen tests, have impacted the sentiment of travellers.”
Mr Mills said the removal of domestic border processes was occurring earlier than the state’s reopening road map, and would provide confidence that unrestricted travel would soon become a reality for domestic and international travellers.
International travel is due to recommence when the 90 per cent double vaccinated target is reached in Queensland.
While renewed optimism, Mayor Tom Tate said the Omicron wave, set to peak in early February, would have long-lasting repercussions for tourism.
“This has pushed the recovery back by a minimum of four months – to April at least,” he said. “The data suggest the peak will not fully come down until the end of February we will then need to restock and rearm so I don’t think it will be until mid-April that we get going again.
“This gives us time to prepare the economy and while we are trying to recover, it does not mean we cannot pre-plan.”
‘We’re just trying to keep the lights on’
QUARANTINING essential workers in “critical industries” will be allowed back to work under a desperate plan to “keep the lights on” in Queensland.
Food, staff and supply shortages have forced the state government to allow a small number of workers across a range of professions to return to work in a limited capacity in order to keep the state functioning during the peak of the Omicron strain.
The industries affected are: power and utilities, emergency services including police teachers, the resource sector, freight and logistics, public transport, essential retailers such as supermarkets or shops in remote communities, major manufacturers, health services, agriculture and fisheries.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the move was necessary given the number of people forced to isolation.
“We need to make sure food is getting where it needs to go, that freight and logistics can operate in our state, she said.
“This will ensure these workers, who may be quarantining at home but have not tested positive in limited circumstances can still continue to go to work and perform these crucial roles.
“We need to keep the lights on, we need to keep the water supply going, out freight moving and our food supplies are getting to the destinations they need to go to.”
The new measures came into effect at noon on Sunday.
Businesses must submit to government the list of critical and essential workers and the occupations they do, though it does not require an approvals process.
However, the measures only apply to fully vaccinated workers who must wear masks at all times and can only travel to, and from work, in private vehicles.
They are not allowed to leave quarantine for any other reason.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said “timing was everything”
“We have to be agile to make sure we still have critical services operating,’ she said.
“Just because you may work in these industries does not mean every single worker will be allowed to go to work and there may be many people who can still work at home.
“But when they need to come in and work face-to-face, they can do so.”
NSW on Sunday announced a similar set of measures aimed at taking pressure off essential industries.
Under the southern state’s plans, which impact on residents in the Tweed and the Northern Rivers workers are only be eligible to leave self-isolation only if their employer determined their absence posed a high risk of disruption to the delivery of critical services or activities.
They must be unable to work from home, must wear a mask and get daily rapid antigen tests.
REVEALED: What Omicron means for school return
The beginning of the 2022 school year will be delayed by two weeks ahead of a surge in hospitalisations as Queensland recorded 18,000 new cases of Covid overnight.
The state reported another record total of new cases overnight, up from 11,174 on Saturday.
That brings the total active cases to 80,563, with 402 people in hospital, 22 people in the intensive care unit and five people on ventilators.
Queensland chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said the number of people requiring hospital care would “escalate substantially”, beginning next week.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed the beginning of the 2022 school year would move from Monday, January 24 to Monday, February 7, a two-week delay.
Year 11s and 12s will begin remote learning on January 31.
She said it was “not desirable” to have children in schools at the peak of the Omicron wave.
“The projections are at the moment that NSW and Victoria will reach their peaks before Queensland,” the Premier said.
“Queensland is expected to reach its peak in the last week of January or first week of February.”
The school year will be extended until December 16.
Schools will remain open for children of essential workers.
Education Minister Grace Grace said: “It’s not an ideal situation and we want to give as much certainty as possible.
“We are hoping that staffing will be at enough numbers to provide supervision for children of essential workers and vulnerable children,” she said.
“We want to ensure our schools remains safe and caring environments.
“I don’t think there’s guarantees at the moment for anything to be honest with you, but we want as much certainty as we can possibly provide.”
The Queensland Teachers Union (QTU) welcomed the decision in a statement.
“The government has made this decision given the rising numbers of the current wave of the pandemic,” the statement read.
“The QTU supports the decision of government and believe it to be in the best interest of members and students.
“The Union continues to work with the Department of Education and government to ensure a healthy and safe return to school after all member working conditions are student learning conditions.”
A state disaster management meeting was held Sunday morning to discuss the new measures.
It comes a day after the coroner confirmed a Gold Coast man in his late 30s found dead last week had died from complications related to the coronavirus.
Dr Gerrard said deaths in people so young were “rare” but had been reported in other states and overseas.
“The most common cause in these young people relates to infection of the heart by the virus,” Dr Gerrard said.
Gold Coast GP Dr Sonu Haikerwal said the decision to push back the start of the school year seemed “sensible”.
“It does allow more time to get the kid population vaccinated and catch up on the vaccination program,” she said.
“The last four days have been incredibly busy and stressful for the health industry but we’re starting to get a handle on things, especially now RAT tests are allowed.
“We all need to stay calm and work together to minimise the spread of the virus.”
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