Analysis: In Paradise and beyond, wage hikes lag global recovery
By Mark John, Swati Pandey and Howard Schneider
Reuters
LONDON/SYDNEY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Faced with shortages of hospitality staff, Australia s Queensland state wants to lure chefs, bartenders and tour guides to its sun-kissed beaches with a Work In Paradise scheme of one-off incentives and help with travel costs.
Once there, however, new arrivals shouldn t expect big pay rises from local businesses whose margins are being battered by the need to keep prices low to win customers. Businesses are trying to cope with the (labor) shortage in different ways but we aren t seeing industry-wide wage pressures, said Daniel Gschwind, chief executive of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council.
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The Southern Downs’ two major centres are set to face off in the race to be crowned the best tourism destination in the region and the state.
Warwick and Stanthorpe are two of the 37 towns nominated in the inaugural Queensland Top Tourism Town Awards, which are presented by the Queensland Tourism Industry Council.
QTIC chief executive Dan Gschwind said the awards were designed to celebrate towns where community sectors worked together to encourage tourism, particularly after the industry’s struggles during the coronavirus pandemic.
“With the current focus on domestic tourism, now is the time to draw attention to our regional destinations and to put the spotlight on our tourism operators and communities who keep our regions thriving,” Mr Gschwind said.
Scott Morrison s plan to open Australia for international travel by October has been thrown into doubt amid fears millions still won t be vaccinated by then.
The government previously predicted overseas travel would be widespread by October which was when everyone was expected to have received the jab.
But the recommendation that under 50s should have the Pfizer vaccine due to a very low risk of blood clots caused by the AstraZeneca jab is expected to push back the timeline.
Scott Morrison s plan to open Australia for international travel by October has been thrown into doubt Pictured: Commuters walk outside Melbourne s Flinders Street Station wearing masks
Businesses have been left shell-shocked after Annastacia Palaszczuk locked downBrisbane due to one new case of Covid-19.
The premier ordered 2.5million Greater Brisbane residents to stay at home and businesses to close down for three days after a quarantine hotel cleaner caught the highly contagious UK strain of Covid-19 from a returned traveller.
Chief Health officer Dr Jeanette Young said the decision was taken to prevent hospitals being overwhelmed even though there is not a single person in Australia in intensive care with Covid.
Residents in Brisbane rushed to the shops to stock up ahead of a weekend in lock down