‘Tourism boom’ – but certainly not on the Gold Coast

GOLD Coast businesses reliant on tourism are still struggling despite Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk celebrating a supposed boom.

It’s hoped a visitor influx will hit after the state border opens to the ACT on Friday and New South Wales border restrictions ease on October 1.

But Gold Coast Jet Ski Safaris owner Adrian Bond scoffed at the suggestion the city was in the midst of a tourism boom this school holidays: “Things have been very average for us.”

He said trade was substantially down and while he hoped it would soon improve, he would still be without Melbourne and Sydney tourists, a big part of his customer base.

”It’s difficult to say how we’ll go. There’s a lot of anticipation out there, people are hopeful things are going to go boom with people coming up from down south,” he said.

“The two biggest cities Sydney and Melbourne are cut off, that’s what we’re concerned about. I don’t think we’ll see much of a boom ’till Christmas.”

Ms Palaszczuk took to

Twitter on Tuesday and said Queensland “is good to go”, adding “tourism (is) booming in many regions”.

Aquaduck boss Sarah Colgate said tourism was certainly not booming but she was pleased to be getting half her normal school holiday trade: “It’s a step in the right direction. It’s good to have customers and some money coming in.”

“It’s definitely not the Gold Coast booming. Our market is much more than international visitors, Sydney and Melbourne is absolutely our market. I hope the border closures being eased will help but I don’t think it’s going to be a big lift.”

She said we loved holiday makers visiting and wanted to see them back after the COVID craziness.