Quicksilver Group confirms iconic Green Island Resort to shut accommodation offering until borders reopen

A favourite Far North destination’s resort will temporarily close its accommodation offerings after the school holidays in the wake of Covid lockdowns.

THE locking out of the Far North’s key tourism markets has forced the hand of Green Island Resort owners Quicksilver Group, with managing director Tony Baker confirming the iconic holiday destination’s resort will temporarily close after the school holidays.

Day trips to the island will be unaffected by the decision, and Mr Baker said staff would be kept on to cater for those visitors.

“It was an incredibly difficult, challenging decision and we’ve certainly tried out best over a couple of months now since the Victorian market closed,” Mr Baker said.

“We just couldn’t continue to try and keep trading out there as the occupancy (rate) is, post the holiday period.”

Green Island, Queensland. The resort will temporarily close until border restrictions are lifted. Day trips remain unaffected by the changes.

Mr Baker said the resort had always had “good local support” but that the majority of their forward bookings were out of New South Wales and Victoria – an untenable situation given their ongoing lockdowns amid surging Covid-19 cases and the closed Queensland border.

“Really once Victoria went into lockdown we saw quite a significant drop in business,” he said.

“And while many people have held on to their bookings and haven’t cancelled, the longer the closure in Victoria, the more cancellations we’ve seen flowing through.”

There had been a small increase in numbers over the school holidays, but once those finish, forward bookings drop away, Mr Baker said.

“There’s just not enough forward bookings to support opening the resort or keeping the resort open until those borders do open,” he said.

Green Island, Queensland.

Some staff will be stood down but remain on the company's books.

Others will go back to “quite reduced hours”, Mr Baker said.

Maintenance staff will be kept on, as will those that are required to keep the day visitor facilities open.

“We see this as a temporary closure just until domestic markets open up,” Mr Baker said.

“Historically it’s been the main market we’ve seen at the resort for many years now and it’s really the loss of those major interstate markets which has forced this decision upon us.”

School holidays finishes around October 10 and Mr Baker said the company would “be looking at winding back (accommodation) at that point”.

He described the current environment for the tourism sector in the Far North as “very challenging”.

The Far North tourism industry has been calling for support and wage relief in recent months amid political bickering from State and Federal Governments over who should foot the bill.

Originally published as Quicksilver Group confirms iconic Green Island Resort to shut accommodation offering until borders reopen