Family lure sparks bookings bonanza
THE reopening of Queensland to NSW and Victoria has sparked the biggest surge in holiday bookings for more than a year, but for many people the joy is more personal.
For the first time since the COVID-19 lockdown families and friends who have been separated will be able to spend time together this Christmas.
One such reunion will be in the home of Townsville travel agent Debbie Rains.
“I have a son, Tyler, in Melbourne. We are excited he will be able to come home for Christmas. I booked his flight way back when,” Ms Rains said.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced border openings to NSW and Victoria from December 1. There is no decision yet on South Australia and its COVID-19 hot spots and travel from there requires people to go into quarantine.
Ms Rains, who operates Travel Associates agencies in Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton, said it had been getting some inquiry from clients just on rumours of the borders reopening.
People were booking domestic holidays for next year but with the borders opening she said it was more about people visiting family and friends who had been separated for a long time.
“That’s the big take away. People want to spend that time together. You probably don’t appreciate it until it’s taken away from you. FaceTime just doesn’t cut it,” Ms Rains said.
Flight Centre CEO Graham Turner has told ABC Radio the business received more domestic online bookings on Tuesday than on any other day in its history.
“It happens immediately, people will travel immediately, they’re desperate to see friends, relatives,” Mr Turner said. Magnetic Island Drop Bear Cafe operator Cathy Lane hopes the reopening will increase business and bring a return to more normal trading conditions so it can hire more staff.
She also hopes the island’s serious rental shortage will ease. She believes a lot of the island’s rental stock has been bought and taken off the market in recent months, including by people in Victoria.
“There’s a lot of displaced residents including my daughter-in-law and son. They had to move to Townsville because they can’t get accommodation on the island,” Ms Lane said.
She also hopes ferry services will be restored so more workers can commute to the island. Sealink general manager Chris Briggs said it had just announced additional services, including late night services on Friday and Saturday and a special new year and Christmas timetable.
Mr Briggs said it was “very close” to PRE-COVID levels – 15 or 16 services a day compared with 17 before COVID.
He said a lot of money was being spent on advertising the island nationally.
“We have been working really hard to drive as much business to the island as we can,” Mr Briggs said.