Sydneysiders who are now unable to take their booked holiday trips in Queensland for the Christmas break have been urged to quickly cancel their reservations so residents on the Sunshine State can snap up bargain rooms.
Queensland shut its border to greater Sydney at 1am on Tuesday, following a coronavirus outbreak on the city s Northern Beaches.
The tightened border restrictions are expected to stay in place until at least January 8, 2021, destroying holiday plans for hundreds of families.
Acting Tourism Minister Scott Stewart said accommodation was hard to come by in some popular Queensland destinations, and those who can t fulfill their bookings should cancel as soon as possible to allow others to take them up.
Queensland tourism operators want better support as Sydney COVID-19 cluster shuts border
MonMonday 21
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TueTuesday 22
Port Douglas tourist operators say they have had many cancellations due to the new restrictions.
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It is the tropical tourist paradise at the top of Queensland that has continued to suffer well past the state s coronavirus lockdown period.
Key points:
Operators say NSW restrictions are yet another blow after a terrible year
Tour operator Steve Edmonson says the virus has put trade sanctions on operations like his
Tourism employs about 80 per cent of the population at Port Douglas, according to the local industry body, with the area usually attracting visitors from around the country and the world.
Cancel Bookings Fast, Queensland Tells Sydney December 21, 2020 Updated: December 21, 2020
The Queensland government is urging Sydneysiders to cancel their holiday bookings as soon as possible ahead of an expected rush of travellers from other states.
Sydneysiders whose holiday plans have been dashed by Queensland’s border closure are being told to urgently cancel their bookings so others can snap them up.
Queensland’s acting Tourism Minister Scott Stewart says holiday accommodation is hard to find in the state.
“We’re expecting strong interest from interstate and Queensland holidaymakers in snapping up cancelled bookings from Greater Sydney,” he said on Tuesday.
“Swift cancellations … will mean those who have missed out will be able to secure bookings and accommodation providers are less likely to be left out of pocket.”
Punch-drunk Queensland tourism operators say they are losing the fighting spirit that has seen them withstand cyclones, floods and bushfires as they face a $250m king hit from the latest border closure. Less than three weeks after getting up off the canvas when the border reopened following eight months of devastation, the $28bn-a-year tourism industry is back on the ropes. The Palaszczuk government yesterday slammed shut the border to millions of potential Christmas holiday-makers from Sydney and surrounding areas, sparking mass cancellations. Gold Coast and far north Queensland operators are facing the biggest hit, losing up to 20 per cent of holiday bookings just as they were looking forward to a bumper Christmas to make up for hundreds of millions of dollars already lost this year during the pandemic.
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Sydneysiders whose holiday plans have been dashed by Queensland s border closure are being told to urgently cancel their bookings so others can snap them up.
Queensland s acting Tourism Minister Scott Stewart says holiday accommodation is hard to find in the state. We re expecting strong interest from interstate and Queensland holidaymakers in snapping up cancelled bookings from Greater Sydney, he said on Tuesday. Swift cancellations . will mean those who have missed out will be able to secure bookings and accommodation providers are less likely to be left out of pocket.
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Queensland on Monday shut its borders to anyone from Greater Sydney until at least 8 January after a coronavirus outbreak in the city s northern beaches.