Tourists hit by fear of isolation

TOURISM in Cairns is feeling the pain despite the border reopening, as a new survey by a leading organisation declared the state’s 14-day isolation policy for close contacts is adding to travellers’ reluctance to make summer holiday bookings.

New data from the Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) revealed that according to a new survey, increasing numbers of the Omicron Covid variant has seen four out of five Australians say they have cancelled or are undecided over their summer holiday travel plans, while one in two have no confidence in travelling interstate.

Cairns-based Ocean Free and Ocean Freedom owner Perry Jones said after a tough time his businesses which take people out on the Great Barrier Reef are finally looking up.

Mr Jones said the border reopening and the increase of vaccination rates have been good news for Cairns.

“Bookings from December are going through the roof,” Mr Jones said. “Before then, we have been quiet, I think we will be OK until mid-January.”

Mr Jones was critical of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s policy of isolation and snap border lockdowns.

“Why are we having an isolation policy?” he said.

“We need to live with Covid, we need to have herd immunity.”

At the Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns, communications manager Sarah Nicholson said the announcement the state border was reopening saw a steady rise in bookings.

“Guests are arriving from across the country, many from southeast Queensland, Victoria and NSW,” she said.

“The direct services coming into Cairns from major population centres to the south are certainly helping, with our guests appreciating the singleflight journey north and we are encouraged by the number of bookings and don’t believe the latest developments in the Covid-19 story are impacting traveller sentiment now Christmas is just days away.”

Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen said TTNQ would share the views of operators to ensure the government understands the implications of the 14-day home isolation requirement and the need to reduce it.

North Queensland Airports chief executive Richard Barker said they had a 26 per cent spike in passenger numbers last week as the borders opened to NSW and Victoria.

“Airlines have made significant capacity commitments to Cairns for January,” he said.

“It does appear there is still some hesitancy to travel north with reported long wait times for PCR tests in southern states and concerns of possible isolation or quarantine for visitors while they are here.”