Local celebrity chefs Dan and Steph Mulheron have helped kick off the winter tourist season for the Fraser Coast.
This will feature the return of favourite events including the Hervey Bay Seafood Festival and Relish Food and Wine festival in Maryborough.
“It’s so exciting to bring food festivals back, Relish is the best food festival in the state and we’re stoked to be part of it,” Dan told the Chronicle on Thursday
Steph said 2020 had been challenging not only for the hospitality industry but also farmers and producers so giving them a platform “really excites us”.
“We’ll be showcasing different ways of cooking and want to inspire people to go to the produce at the Relish festival and go home and cook,” she said
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Subscriber only COVID-19 restrictions and confusion combined with a wild weather forecast may have made for a bumpy start to the easter break but it seems there s clear skies ahead. Accommodation providers like Ann Glasson at Riviera Resort report they are running near 100 per cent capacity for the entire school holidays. Among the guests are Andrew and Kim Trigell, who together with their daughters Annabelle and Delilah who posed for a picture for the Chronicle poolside. Rivieria Resort managers Ann and Ian Glasson. Photo: Stuart Fast Mrs Glasson said while travellers did get a bit anxious about travelling due to the recent COVID outbreak in Brisbane she said it had little impact on bookings at the resort.
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The Easter long weekend was expected to be key to the region’s economic recovery but this week’s Brisbane lockdown sparked a surge in booking cancellations.
Still, local leaders and business owners are hopeful there’s been enough of a window since the lockdown lift to encourage as last minute turn for the best.
Ongoing restrictions including the wearing of masks at venues continue to be a wild card.
Fraser Coast Tourism and Events General Manager Martin Simons told the Chronicle businesses across the Coast had seen cancellations amid the lockdown.
“Whether (those businesses) are able to fully recover, I don’t know,” Mr Simons said.
3rd Mar 2021 11:30 AM | Updated: 2:13 PM UPDATE: General Manager of Fraser Coast Tourism and Event Martin Simons said it was good to see Maryborough recognised alongside Hervey Bay regarding tourist attractions. Maryborough is shining ⦠here is a couple of major attractions on the national stage, up against quite a lot of competition, he said. The mural piece was a very heavily competitive category ⦠the fact the Maryborough Mural Project was recognised with a silver award is great kudos to the committee. Mr Simons said both attractions were fantastic examples of community coming together to create art, setting Maryborough apart with a can do attitude.
The Bay scored third place based on Booking.com user feedback.
It comes amid a flurry of wins for the region’s tourism industry.
Fellow travel giant Wotif recently named the Bay as the second best spot in Queensland and seventh in the country.
This week Hervey Bay’s Torquay Beach was named the 6th best in the state by Surf Life Saving Queensland. .
Jetstar will also begin direct flights from Sydney to the Bay in May.
Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour gave full credit of the most recent award to the city’s local community, local businesses and tourism operators.