Destinations battle it out for tourist dollars

BORDERS may be closed across much of Australia, but the battle for the interstate tourist dollar has begun in earnest.

Queensland holiday providers have laid down the gauntlet, with bonus deals totalling $2m for the first 8000 people to book trips to the state’s north.

Dubbed the $2m Cairns and Great Barrier Reef Travel Bonus campaign, the unprecedented tourism drive rewards holiday-makers with $250 vouchers for every booking of $1000 to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.

The Cairns and Great Barrier Reef Travel Bonus campaign is an initiative by Tourism Tropical North Queensland and funded by the government’s $1bn Covid-19 Relief and Recovery Fund.

TTNQ chief executive Mark Olsen said he hoped the scheme would help the industry counter Covid-induced losses of $2.5bn in earnings and 6000 local jobs.

“With no international visitors for more than 18 months, tourism businesses have been struggling to provide employment to the one in five people whose jobs depend on tourism in the region,” he said.

“The region needs Australians to visit and enjoy these world-class experiences so operators will be ready to welcome back interstate and international visitors, adding more than $3.5bn in export dollars to the Australian economy when borders open.”

With the country on track to reach the 70 per cent vaccination target by mid-October,

the reopening of interstate borders is within sight.

Sydney couple Gareth Beddoes, 30, and Rosy Cooper are itching to explore their own backyard by the end of the year once Covid restrictions ease.

“I don’t think I have ever looked forward to a holiday so much in my life,” Mr Beddoes said. “We haven’t left NSW in nearly two years, and the last few months for everything has been a bit of a slog, so getting away is just what we need.”

The pair said the travel vouchers would provide a

welcome relief to thousands of Australians in need of a break, while boosting the struggling tourism industry.

“This provides those people with a bit of an extra helping hand and can be the difference between getting someone over the line to take the plunge and book a trip up north,” Mr Beddoes said.

“It’s also important that businesses that rely on tourism are supported as they have suffered significantly.”

The $250 bonus vouchers, which launch today, are valid for trips until April 20, 2022.