High time we tidied up airport

THE record passenger numbers through Townsville Airport in July are a positive sign for our region.

It’s great to see southern visitors taking advantage of all North Queensland has to offer and giving our economy a muchneeded boost.

The Melbourne market could become a regular winter tourism driver if the city takes the right steps to impress the people who have picked Townsville or Magnetic Island as their holiday destination.

Townsville residents have known for a long time that we live in a wonderful part of the world and new air services mean visitors from different parts of the country will discover it for themselves.

The influx of visitors from Victoria shows that deliberately marketing Townsville can make a big difference.

Hopefully this boost is the start of a more permanent trend.

Cairns’s economy has benefited from tourism dollars for many years and it’s time that Townsville developed more of a foothold on the market.

These figures also add weight to the need for Townsville Airport’s redevelopment to go ahead.

We want to put our best foot forward to anyone who travels to our region.

Anyone who has travelled through Townsville Airport can attest to just how busy the upper concourse can get during peak times. People can be found sitting on the floor due to a shortage of chairs and long lines can make it hard to move through the space.

A revamp to make the terminal more user- friendly would be welcomed by business travellers and tourists alike.

Conveniences like phone charging stations and automated check- in are really an expected part of airport experiences thanks to our increasingly busy lifestyles.

Townsville deserves to have an airport of which the city can be proud.

The visitors are coming our way, let’s make sure they have a pleasant experience at every step of their journey.