Tourism operators hit by booking cancellations ahead of Alfred’s late arrival

Travel bookings have been dealt a major blow by Cyclone Alfred, with one in three reservations cancelled this week after airlines halted flights to the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Ballina.

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Concerns are mounting that the fallout from Cyclone Alfred could dampen the important Easter holiday period, as southeast Queensland tourism businesses brace for the category 2 storm’s weekend arrival.

Already one in three reservations have been cancelled this week as a result of flight disruption from the cyclone threat, and the cancellation rate is expected to rise at the weekend.

Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar have all pulled flights into Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Ballina until at least Sunday, affecting thousands of travellers.

Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Natassia Wheeler said it was probably fortunate the cyclone was arriving outside traditional holiday periods but she was all too aware that Easter was just seven weeks away.

“It is the best of a worst situation, having impacts happen at a quieter time, but the concern is how long it takes to pick back up,” Ms Wheeler said.

“Easter is a really key time in Queensland when that visitation is critical to getting our industry through the next few months, and we’re really reliant on it, not just in southeast Queensland but right across the state, all the way to the north.”

Huge waves have formed off the Gold Coast ahead of Cyclone Alfred’s arrival. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Of most concern was the potential for structural damage to properties along with environmental damage to the region’s biggest drawcard – beaches.

Professor Liz Ritchie-Tyo from Monash University said the “barrier islands” of Moreton and Stradbroke would provide some protection for Brisbane in terms of blocking the ocean’s impact during the cyclone, but not the Gold and Sunshine coasts.

“They don’t get the same protection, so we are seeing that erosion happening down there,” she said. “There will also be a lot of erosion on those islands, which are both sand islands, with the loss of sand taking a long time to build back up again.”

Extensive sand erosion on Golden Beach on the southern Sunshine Coast. Picture: NewsWire/ Glenn Campbell

Ms Wheeler said there was some good to come of the long wait for Cyclone Alfred’s arrival, in that there had been time to make extensive preparations.

Initially expected to hit on Thursday, a significant slowdown in Alfred’s progress toward the coast had pushed back its expected landfall until Saturday.

“People are working really hard to protect their properties, they’re taking it really seriously, which will help us, not just from a safety perspective but in the recovery,” Ms Wheeler said.

“As a community, (tourism operators) bounce back and we bounce back harder and stronger, but we need visitors to come back with us.”

She urged anyone with holiday bookings in Queensland not to cancel but to reschedule for a later date.

Although there was some frustration that Cyclone Alfred’s approach had played havoc with flight schedules and decisions to close businesses, Ms Wheeler said safety had to come first.

“We have an industry that faces many challenges but the number-one priority is the safety of our people, whether that be the visitors with us or our teams in our community, so that’s really important and preparation also is critical in being able to report back to insurance companies,” she said.

Originally published as Tourism operators hit by booking cancellations ahead of Alfred’s late arrival