The tourism hotspots benefitting most from border closures

An influx of Aussies “vacationing in their own backyard” has given many businesses in tourist hotspots a busy summer season while others have struggled to recover from the loss of international travelers and unexpected state border closings.

The health of the east coast tourism industry is divided over fears that border restrictions for the eleventh hour have contributed to a “national fear of travel”.

Byron Shire, a thriving tourist Mecca of recent months, is among those reporting a business boom.

“Without a doubt, we are seeing record traffic and sales in the visitor economy, and it will likely stay that way through April,” said David Jones, vice president of Destination Byron.

[dm-listing-recommendation experimentname=’midcontent-listings’ positiononpage=’midcontent’]

Mr Jones, who is also the sales and marketing manager at the Elements of Byron luxury resort, said there was an “availability crisis” in the city over Christmas and lodging providers were the biggest benefactors.

Domestic tourists, many from Sydney, make up the vast majority of the visitor economy in Byron Bay, with international travelers making up only 20 percent. And of these, most are long-term backpackers on a budget, Mr. Jones said.

“When the international borders closed, Byron’s only had a big impact other than losing workers,” he said.

Even state border restrictions had worked in favor of the city.

“We were as far north as possible when the Queensland border closed, ”Jones said.

And unlike many regions that encourage locals to vacation in their own backyard, Byron Bay didn’t spend any money on campaigns to attract visitors.

“Byron never marketed itself as a travel destination,” said Jones, adding that it already has a reputation for being “Australia’s bohemian and wellness capital.”

Many caravan parks are dependent on regular customers. Photo: iStock

In addition to boutique and short stays, the caravan parks on the east coast also had a busy summer.

Shane, manager of Broken Head Holiday Park, said business was only about 10 percent down on the previous year, driven by strong demand from regular customers.

“We have people here who have been coming for 50 years,” he said.

The closure of the Victoria / NSW border over the New Year period had resulted in some booking cancellations. “When we said that, we had people on waiting lists ready to take the seats,” he said.

But it’s not all positive news for those in the vacation sector.

Daniel Gschwind, chairman of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, said a “multi-speed economy” is at stake.

“We have individual reports from some boutique accommodation providers in the southeast reporting better terms and conditions than ever before,” said Gschwind.

“At the other end of the spectrum, we have some operators reporting persistent catastrophic conditions, particularly companies with a heavy focus on international tourism such as Great Barrier Reef operators and other Northern Queensland accommodation providers that used to be strong businesses from Asia and Europe. ”

Far North Queensland was also hit by the threat of tropical cyclones, which disrupted many activities and tours at sea.

Tourism on the Great Barrier Reef is struggling to recover. Photo: Delivered

The change in border restrictions and closings not only had an impact on immediate business operations, but would also affect interstate travel.

“P.It is more disturbing that it added to this national fear of travel before booking. Consumers just give up thinking it is too hard to plan and look forward to a family getaway. You will be defeated at the last minute and have to return home, ”said Gschwind

And without the promise that Australia will open its borders to international travel in 2021, it could be an emergency for some in the tourism sector.

Mr Gschwind said JobKeeper has been a lifeline for many companies that rely on overseas travelers.

“When that comes to an end [in March]It will reveal the full extent of the pain the industry is currently experiencing, ”he said.

Kim Logan, owner of Noosa River and Canal Cruises, said Noosa Heads was just as busy as other summer periods, with crowds along the foreshore and heavy traffic, but she noticed that the tourist population had changed.

She considers herself very fortunate that visitors from South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, as well as many from Brisbane, made up for the losses her company suffered from the lack of foreign visitors.

But Ms. Logan said she knew how quickly things could get “pear-shaped”.

“I don’t think for a second that we can’t go backwards,” she said. “Even when I make bookings, about 50 percent of people ask what the cancellation policy is if it’s COVID-related.”

[dm-listing-recommendation experimentname=’below-content-listings’ positiononpage=’belowContent’]