Cairns, Gold Coast hard hit by downturn
Leisure destinations in Queensland are feeling the brunt of the downturn in domestic travel and the impact of the high Aussie dollar.
Peak national body, Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) said the latest statistics for Queensland hotels show that while some sectors of the tourism industry are performing relatively well, others are struggling.
The ABS’ Survey of Tourist Accommodation shows that occupancy rates for central Brisbane hotels were 74.0 per cent in the first quarter, down just 0.4 percentage points on the same period last year, despite the impact of floods.
However, predominantly leisure destinations fared worse, with occupancy on the Gold Coast down 4.2 percentage points to 66.9 per cent and Cairns occupancy at just 52.1 per cent, despite a rise of 1.9 percentage points for the period.
Australians were taking advantage of the strong Aussie dollar, choosing to holiday in Indonesia, Fiji and Thailand, said TTF chief executive John Lee
“The strong Australian dollar is also having an impact on the choices international visitors to Australia make while they’re here and that is affecting tourism operators in more remote areas, as people forego a trip in favour of other activities,†Lee added.
Ian Jarrett
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