Support measures are required in FNQ
THEY’VE HAD BOOKINGS CANCELLED, PATRON NUMBERS SLASHED ... AND DOMESTIC TOURISM TAKE A MASSIVE HIT. THEY ARE NOT IN LOCKDOWN, BUT THEY’RE LOCKED OUT.
REGIONAL Queensland businesses locked out from the rest of the country are desperate for support if they are able to maintain their commitment to staff and championing Queensland tourism, retail and hospitality.
The Cairns Chamber of Commerce and Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) are calling for the financial and emotional impact of Covid lockdowns and restrictions across state borders on regional Queensland business and consumer confidence to be recognised with support offered to those hardest hit.
Tourism, hospitality and retail businesses in Far North Queensland have still not recovered from the financial and emotional impacts of Covid restrictions and lockdowns.
We might be thousands of kilometres away from the hard lockdowns in other Australian states, but our businesses haven’t been spared the impact they have on business and consumer confidence.
These businesses and businesspeople are really hurting. They’ve had bookings cancelled, patron numbers significantly slashed, international tourism reduced to zero and domestic tourism take a massive hit. They are not in lockdown, but they’re locked out.
We’re hearing from tourism operators they are losing between $3million -$5 million a day. We have retailers reporting not a single transaction on their cash registers in a day.
They need support now to ensure they’re able to maintain operations, retain their commitment to staff and pay bills through this lockout, notwithstanding the need to get back to business and remain competitive in the future.
Recent data from Tourism and Events Queensland shows Far North Queensland domestic visitation was down close to 40 per cent in the year ending March, with expenditure down 9.4 per cent in the same period.
Consumer confidence has taken a significant hit, with tourism, hospitality and retail businesses in particular struggling to generate pre-Covid levels. Far North Queensland businesses are running the risk of not being around to welcome guests back once the country as well as the rest of the world reopens. These businesses want to do what they do best – but the tourists aren’t coming.
These businesses need a commitment now to support them financially to ensure they’re able to continue the positive impact they make on the state’s economy.
Cairns business owner Darren Barber operates Wolf Lane Distillery and Three Wolves Bar and said he expected Covid restrictions to have cost the business up to $750,000.
Mr Barber’s local bars have been reduced to half of capacity for more than a year and retail outlet customers had reduced demand for the business’ wholesale gin product. He said Covid restrictions and lockdowns in other parts of the country significantly affected consumer confidence.
“It would be useful to have more transparency or a timeframe as to when restrictions would be lifted,” he said.
“Businesses are relying on certainty to ensure they’re able to maintain resilience, both now and in the future when they’re able to get back to business.
“We know this uncertainty is damaging to business confidence and their ability to plan for the future so it’s essential they are afforded clarity in decision making as well as potential support.”