Let’s focus on domestic travel

THE Chinese travel ban threatens to strike Cairns businesses at a time when they can least afford the loss.

Between the coronavirus spread and the apocalyptic bushfires ravaging Australia, Cairns has so far avoided the worst of the horrors making headlines elsewhere in the country.

With the ban, the threat of the virus suddenly feels more “real” than it did before. Even if it’s now less likely for the outbreak to reach us (touch wood), it’s small comfort for a tourism economy where businesses closing down has become a fact of life.

While the loss of China, at least for a time, Cairns should be looking toward the growing domestic tourism market, and the growing well of 20-somethings from Sydney and Melbourne looking for their next “eco-travel destination.”

Far North Queensland is the most popular destination for long-term domestic trips in Queensland, with visitors staying an average of 5.1 days per stay.

We also know that more and more people age 20-29 are rediscovering the long-haul Aussie road trip they never got to enjoy as kids.

Sure, the grey nomads are still overwhelmingly the ones filling our caravan parks and outdoor camping spots, but how many of them are on Instagram? Pat and Jo aren’t telling the best outdoor activities on TripAdvisor, that’s a job for the social media generation.

The travel ban will eventually be lifted, and all we can do until then is hope our businesses weather the storm.

In the meantime, let’s look to our own backyard as fertile ground for a future tourism boom.

Jack Lawrie jack.lawrie@news.com.au