TOURISM REPORT
Regional centres are on the move
Tourism Tropical North Queensland to encourage Aussies By Grantlee Kieza, Industry Reporter
There is no better time to see the Australian outback. Broken Hill, for instance, is recording great visitor numbers despite COVID. Recent rains have the Menindee Lakes bursting with life, the area is lush and green, and the mighty rivers are flowing. Advertising campaigns promoting local tourism are working, though regional centres around Australia are faring much better than the cities. Michael Johnson, the CEO of Tourism Accommodation Australia, said regional centres “in close proximity to the CBD, within that three-four hour radius – they’ve been doing extremely well”. “If you use Sydney as an example the areas such as Orange, Mudgee, Dubbo, the Blue Mountains – the Hunter Valley, Port Stephens are doing well.
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such as Wagga and heavily serviced by Victoria – they’re not doing that well.” Mr Johnson said CBDs had been “doing good numbers on weekends” but very little business on weekdays. “Closed borders are having a huge impact,” he said. “The biggest driver for Sydney tourism is Victoria but it’s not happening now. Queensland needs to have its borders open before it takes off and it is also heavily dependent on international tourism.” Dean Long, the CEO of the Accommodation Association of Australia, said regional properties surrounded by good leisure experiences were having “an absolute renaissance probably across four days of the week, definitely two. “There has been very good movement on the weekend shoulders, Thursday, Friday and Monday, Tuesday. If you’re in driving distance from a capital city you’re doing well and the tourism campaigns are working.
“Somewhere like Byron Bay is also doing extremely well and forward bookings are very strong.
“The markets that are relying on international tourism are struggling, though – the capital cities, the Gold Coast, tropical Queensland.
“But an area such as Merimbula, which is normally fed by towns
“Without borders being open those markets are finding it very challenging.”
Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen told Resort News that summer was traditionally when international visitors flocked to the Cairns and Great Barrier Reef destination to explore the world’s oldest rainforest and most diverse reef system. He said: “With international borders closed it is the perfect opportunity for Australians to discover what they have been missing out on. “The Great Barrier Reef is calm and visibility is great providing optimum conditions to see the marine life which becomes much more active after the November coral spawning with turtles arriving from around the world to nest.
“The early summer rains rejuvenate the Wet Tropics rainforest and top up the creeks and rivers so the waterfalls and swimming holes are spectacular. “This means activities like white water rafting, tubing and canyoning are at their peak. The wildlife is more active as they forage for rainforest fruits and look for a mate. “It is also the time when you can pluck luscious mangoes straight from the tree or try them in a cocktail. “So many Australians head overseas to experience summer in the tropics but this year they can find out why people – and turtles – from around the world visit Cairns and Great Barrier Reef in summer. “There are plenty of packages and deals being rolled out … to entice visitors to Summer Great and Leave Greater.”
Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland
TOURISM
ResortNews | November 2020
