Border block: Coolangatta hotels struggle to survive with empty resorts
Hotel bosses based along the Queensland-NSW border say Premier Palaszczuk’s persistence with closure is “killing them”. Normally pumping resorts are empty and “dead as a doorknob”.
Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
HOTEL bosses on the Queensland-NSW border say Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s persistent closure is “killing them” with normally pumping resorts empty - whilst venues across it in Tweed are packing out.
Normally popular Coolangatta-based Komune Beachclub and Resort owner Tony Cannon usually sees interstate visitors travel up for a warmer winter holiday.
This season he’s relying on local visitors - but numbers aren’t materialising - despite limitless travel opened up across Queensland and state marketing campaigns to encourage travel.
“The border closure has been an absolute nightmare for us. It’s killing us. The border control is right behind Komune,” Mr Cannon said.
“It’s just a massive traffic jam. It’s such a turn off that people aren’t bothering coming up.
“We usually get really good occupancy for the next three months from Victoria and New South Wales. About 70 per cent of our customers are south of the border.”
Mr Cannon added: “They don’t realise how bad the impact is for our town. So many businesses are struggling.”
Rainbow Bay Resort Holiday Apartments is also based on the Queensland side in Boundary Street, Coolangatta - manager Susan West said she had 20 empty rooms waiting to be filled but there is no sign of visitors.
“We’re dead as a door knob,” Mrs West said.
“This time of the year we are usually going into our winter-long stay and they are from interstate.
MORE NEWS
Coast restaurant co-owner hits out at Queensland border closure
Why this Gold Coast mansion is going viral
Beaches reopen after fatal shark attack
“We have New Zealanders who can’t get across. We’ve got South Australians and Victorians who stay because we can’t get them over the border.
“We’re normally fully booked between July and August with all our long-term guests but they’ve all started to cancel because they can’t get across the border. The beginning of the year, from February, bookings were amazing.
“But (once forced to close) we started to do a look into what our business has lost. We saw we had lost about $250,000 and we had to stop (thinking about it) because it was just depressing.
“It’s looking like it will be a very sad 2020.”
A Surfers Paradise tower manager who declined to be name said a “few” bookings were trickling in but rates were so low it was almost not even worth the effort.
“We are getting a few scummy bookings,” the manager said.
MORE NEWS
Dog hospitalised after eating ‘human faeces containing magic mushrooms’
Gold Coast MP sickened by Nazi graffiti on signs outside his office
What’s behind the Jewel hotel delay
But it is not only the loss of accommodation guests which is killing Komune’s business.
“I live in (nearby tower Salt) and all the restaurants and bars are pumping down there because no one can get up to Coolangatta,” he said.
“(NSW bars and restaurants) can have 50 people in each section. Twin Towns, right across from us, can have 300 people. And we can only have 20.”
Mr Cannon said he was keeping 10 staff employed with JobKeeper.
Staff, usually serving up cocktails, have been on the tools helping with a $250,000 renovation of the resort and due to be completed in September.
“We had a lot of our backpacking accommodation on the first three levels but all the backpackers decamped and went home,” Mr Cannon said.
“So we’ve used our bar staff to help renovate into nice hotel suites.”
A spokeswoman for Mantra Twin Towns, based in NSW next to the border, have been taking bookings.
“The impact that Covid-19 has had and continues to have on the travel industry is devastating,” she said.
“We are slowly seeing bookings gradually pick up and, for the long weekend, Mantra Twin Towns in Coolangatta was busier than it has been for a few months.
“Every time the government makes a positive statement on the relaxing of restrictions, we see a surge in online activity and interest.
“The search trends we are seeing suggest that hotels within a day’s drive of people’s homes will also be popular.”
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk closed the Queensland borders on April 3 aimed at halting the coronavirus pandemic.
Ms Palaszczuk said it would be “highly unlikely” the state will be open before July whilst Queensland’s chief medical officer Dr Jeanette Young dubbed September “more realistic”.
The border closure has caused outrage among Gold Coast businesses who heavily rely on tourism. Activity operators, restaurant owners and a tower manager accused Mayor Tom Tate of leaving them “high and dry” for backing Ms Palaszczuk’s border block.
Favourite eateries gone: Inside dining strip’s multimillion dollar revamp
Three of the Gold Coast’s most popular restaurants have been shown the door in preparation for a Broadbeach dining precinct’s no-expense-spared transformation.
It’s official – Gold Coasters favour the light rail
Council hired an independent consultant who polled residents across the Gold Coast about their priorities. This is what they discovered - including a surprising tram stat from the south.