The silver lining for our tourism region amid the pandemic

AMID the COVID-19 pandemic, a silver lining is emerging for tourist operators in the Southern Queensland Country Tourism region.

FILE PHOTO

AMID the COVID-19 pandemic, a silver lining is emerging for tourist operators in the Southern Queensland Country Tourism region. 

SQCT CEO Peter Homan said there was mounting anecdotal evidence that people don't really want to get on a plane anymore.

"They're still worrying about the contagious, petri dish-type situation that planes can be, and it's the same with cruise ships," he said. 

Given the region's proximity to the large population base between Noosa and Coolangatta, and given its status as a preferred destination for New South Wales and even South Australian visitors, Mr Homan said he expected the drive market to increase.

"We're expecting it to be like this in the medium term for the next couple of years," he said.

With the opening of the borders from July 10, Mr Homan said there was a lot more visitors on the way, and lots of them would be long-haul caravan and camping visitors.

"In Queensland we're warmer, we've got more beautiful assets, more facilities, more dump points, more places to park, more places to camp, it's a well known thing," he said.

"You look at the numbers in outback Queensland, they've been soaring through the roof.

"They come through this area to go out west and up north.

"There will be a direct benefit for us." 

Originally published as The silver lining for our tourism region amid the pandemic