‘How fantastic’: The areas to benefit from border reopenings

IT WAS the best news Southern Queensland Country Tourism CEO Peter Homan could have received.

Western Queensland will benefit from the border reopenings, SQCT head Peter Homan said.

IT WAS the best news Southern Queensland Country Tourism CEO Peter Homan could have received.

Following Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's announcement this afternoon that Queensland's borders would reopen to all states except Victoria from July 10, Mr Homan was ecstatic.

"How fantastic," he said.

"That's the best news we could have had."

Mr Homan said while tourist numbers around the Southern Downs and Granite Belt had been "incredibly strong", numbers out west had been a bit slow and caravan parks were yet to fill.

"The caravans are massed on the borders, and now we can travel, that's great."

He also said the reopenings would benefit other areas as travellers threaded their way into the state's west.

The caveat is that visitors entering Queensland will have to declare they had not travelled to Victoria in the preceding 14 days.

Recently, COVID-19 cases have spiked in Victoria.

From noon on Friday, more restrictions will be eased, meaning gatherings will be limited to 100 people, you'll be able to order a beer at the bar, community sport is back on, and the 20-people limit per space in pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes will be lifted.

In large venues, there will be no maximum number of people provided they abide by the 4 sq m rule, and smaller venues below 200 sq m in size will be able to have one person per two square metres, up to a maximum of 50 people.

Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Rohl said the easing of restrictions was "all positive" but that a Friday opening of the borders would have been welcomed by the tourism and hospitality industries.