SPRING INVASION
Far North gets ready for great Aussie holiday migration
FAR North, be ready – there’s a great Aussie holiday migration about to hit.
Tourism operators are quietly optimistic about a bumper school holiday period to smooth the rough year 2019 has been so far. Accommodation houses are reporting near capacity bookings.
A RUSH of “unusual” lastminute bookings has filled Far North tourism operators with hope for a bumper school holiday period to boost coffers after a turbulent year.
Resorts and hotels in family-favourite destinations Palm Cove and Port Douglas are reportedly nearing capacity for the upcoming two-week block, with guest lists predominantly made up of interstate visitors looking to escape the winter chill.
Tourism Port Douglas executive officer Tara Bennett said there was a new trend towards late bookings, but she believed the recent dip in temperatures down south had driven visitor numbers.
“The bookings have come in quite late, which is unusual,” she said.
“The pattern we’re seeing is people are tending to hold off.
“We’re certainly going to see a healthy couple of weeks. It has been soft but it has (improved) since June … and everyone is ready to welcome their guests with open arms.”
Tourism Palm Cove president Richard Hewitson said the beachside suburb was already bustling, mostly with Victorians.
“Everyone had a slow January, February, March, but the year to date on last September is actually looking stronger,” he said.
“Everyone has stopped chasing their tail, which is good.”
Cairns Coconut Holiday Resort manager Richard Yazbek said there had been concerns about bookings up until this week, when a host of late bookings flooded in, including 25 “walk-ins” on Monday alone.
“It’s been very last-minute, which has been very surprising,” he said.
“We were concerned, but these last-minute bookings have just been amazing.”
Mr Yazbek said the bulk of the nationally acclaimed family favourite’s bookings were coming from within Queensland, but there were also guests from Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria.
CaPTA Group managing director Peter Woodward said the launch of a new “Nocturnal Habitat” at Wildlife Habitat at Port Douglas was expected to drive extra school holiday traffic.
“Business is picking up again, which is great news after a slow start to the year,” he said.
“Cairns ZOOM and Wildlife Dome and Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas always see a peak during school holidays because of their suitability to families.”