Tourists swarming in to fill up coffers

CAIRNS hotels and resorts are experiencing a bumper Christmas holiday season with many fully booked until the middle of January.

Pullman Reef Hotel general manager Wayne Reynolds said stronger than usual demand through November was an indication the peak tourist season was lasting longer.

“There is less of a pronounced decline in numbers for the traditional ‘green season’. We have seen strong demand for the festive season leading into the first week of January,” he said.

“The market seems to be strong, assisted by the lower Australian dollar which is keeping domestic travellers at home and making us more attractive to international tourists as well.”

Pacific Hotel general manager Gregor Davie said the business had enjoyed 100 per cent occupancy over the past week.

He expected a “solid season again in January”.

“We’ve been very busy for the week around Christmas for the past two years. There are a lot of Japanese charter flights at this time of year and the Korean flights have just started,” Mr Davie said.

The Esplanade’s Splash Seafood Restaurant day supervisor Tullulah Rodder said 2016 had been the busiest she had experienced in three years.

“There was a little lull before Christmas and just afterwards but it’s certainly flat out this week. I feel like the town is pumping,” she said. “Even in the normally quiet period of January to March this year it was busier than usual.”

But Castaways Resort and Spa Mission Beach general manager Jasmine Porteous said the beginning of the month had been unusually quiet for the town.