Whitsundays the winner in varied visitor economy

The border closures that have brought the far north Queensland city of Cairns to its knees, is having the reverse effect on the Whitsundays, 600km to the south.

Tourism organisations are calling for a travel bubble for North Queensland. Picture: Tourism Whitsundays

The border closures that have brought the far north Queensland city of Cairns to its knees, is having the reverse effect on the Whitsundays, 600km to the south.

While Cairns’ hotels sit empty and tourist operators struggle to stay afloat, the Whitsundays’ major drawcards of Airlie Beach, Hamilton and Hayman Islands are booming.

Restaurants along the main road of Airlie are full, accommodation booked out and boats to the islands heaving with tourists.

Although Cairns continued to see visitors from intrastate pour into the city, Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen said they were largely staying with family and friends and not taking the tours typically patronised by international tourists. Even the city’s lagoon — normally teeming with backpackers at this time of year — was unusually quiet after reopening to bathers in late June.

Tourism Whitsundays’ CEO Tash Wheeler put the contrasting fortunes of the two regions down to size and proximity to the southeast.

“We need 5000 people a day to fill the Whitsundays, while Cairns’ and Tropical North Queensland needs 55,000 a day roughly,” Ms Wheeler said.

Empty rooms at the Riley Hotel in Cairns, which has lost a large amount of business during the pandemic. Picture: Brendan Radke

Despite the strong influx of tourists from other parts of Queensland, Ms Wheeler said the region was missing the backpacker market and a number of hostels remain closed. With international borders not expected to reopen anytime soon, the Whitsundays was keen to encourage young Australians to backpack in their own backyard as borders open.

“You can do three nights on a boat, snorkel Whitehaven Island for a really competitive price,” Ms Wheeler said.

Hamilton Island CEO Glenn Bourke said 60 per cent of their visitors were typically from interstate but the response from Queensland guests had been “better than expected” and there had been “a surge in demand from the luxury market”.

With uncertainty still surrounding travel, Mr Bourke said guests were booking “relatively last minute”.

“Our short-term outlook is healthy, but without the international inbound business it is challenging to predict occupancy levels for the next six months ahead,” he said.

Australian Tourism Industry Council CEO Simon Westaway said the contrast in fortunes of Cairns and the Whitsundays was being played out in many parts of the country.

“It’s a multiple-speed visitor economy without question at the moment. There are numerous reports of some pockets doing really well and some operators are even saying it’s the best they’ve ever done,” Mr Westaway said.

However, he said the majority of operators were doing “very poorly” due to the reliance on domestic travellers being able to move freely, and international visitors.

While he welcomed Queensland’s conditional border reopening with NSW in November, the first phase of the trans-Tasman bubble and Tasmania’s border relaxation, Mr Westaway said there was still much work to be done.