Travellers to bring $173m to Gold Coast economy over Easter period

The Easter bunny is bringing more than choccy eggs in a basket to the Gold Coast over the holiday period. He’s delivering a cash bonanza set to revive the city’s post-pandemic tourism sector.

ABOUT 28,000 travellers will bring more than a hot cross bun when they land on the Gold Coast on Easter Monday.

Collectively, they’ll spend $24m just that day.

Tourism leaders expect the entire Easter holiday period to be a $173m windfall as business owners look to enjoy trade not seen since 2019.

According to data from Smith Travel Research, the occupancy rate for the school holidays is above 70 per cent on average, and as high as 82 per cent for Easter.

About 21,000 passengers are expected to arrive each day over the Easter period, spending on average $872 every 24 hours.

Gold Coast Airport CEO Chris Mills. . Picture Glenn Hampson

The NSW school holidays end on April 22.

Airlines are urging passengers to arrive two hours before domestic flights and up to three hours for international services to avoid any repeat of the disruption in southern cities.

Queensland Airports Limited CEO Chris Mills said while the terminal was busy, it was operating well.

“We are seeing plenty of traffic on the Gold Coast and it may take slightly longer to get to the gate when people arrive, but the team is doing everything they can to get passengers on their way safely and on time” he said.

The city’s tourism industry is “ready”, according to Destination Gold Coast’s Rachel Hancock. Picture: Supplied.

Destination Gold Coast’s head of stakeholder and strategy Rachel Hancock said the tourism industry was primed and ready.

“This Easter marks the first school holidays in two years that we’re welcoming our local, interstate and overseas markets all at once,” Ms Hancock said.

“To top it off, the Gold Coast is the No.1 Australian destination being searched in April, according to Wotif.com.

“By all accounts, these school holidays are looking like they will match pre-Covid levels and the feeling across the tourism industry is electric.”

Ms Hancock said Destination Gold Coast had been “dreaming of days where restaurants, tourism experiences and accommodation providers would be buzzing with business again.”

One operator “ready to rock n’ roll” is Ky Parker, who manages the Surfers Paradise-based Gold Coast Watersports.

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“We will see thousands of travellers hit Surfers over Easter weekend and already there’s more people than I’ve seen in years out and about. So I definitely expect it to be very busy,” he said.

“We’ve already had a great summer since the borders reopened and I anticipate that Easter will be our busiest period since before the pandemic.

“With NSW and Victoria on school holidays it’s going to be huge.”

Mr Parker said a “massive influx of people” is just what the city needed after “enduring the worst of the pandemic.”