Holiday bookings have surged after initial fears of a tourism wipe-out this spring, with many Queenslanders making the last-minute decision to roll up to the Coast and take advantage of special deals.
Bookings were initially soft at just 60 per cent, but hotels and apartments in Mooloolaba and Caloundra experienced a rebound over the warm weekend, with some operators reaching 90 per cent capacity.
Discounts are being offered to encourage more Queenslanders to follow the sunshine and take advantage of rare deals for accommodation and tourism experiences during what’s usually a peak season.
For example, some hotels are giving 10 to 20 per cent discounts, Aussie World is offering free return visits to use in the future and Aquaduck has special tours for adults at kids prices.
Despite earlier fears that border closures and COVID uncertainty would dampen the spring break, many accommodation providers are now hoping to fill the remaining rooms, especially those still available in the second week.
It comes after lockdowns in winter wreaked havoc during the cold months and following the highs of the biggest Christmas ever in 2020-21.
Mooloolaba Chamber of Commerce president Graeme Juniper said he was aware that Landmark and Mantra resorts both jumped to 90 per cent capacity at the weekend.
Mr Juniper said rooms for the upcoming week also appeared to be filling up as Queenslanders planned their holidays on the fly.
“What they are telling me is, people are not forward-booking, they’re just doing last-minute because of COVID and they’re waiting to see if the Premier is going to shut us down,” Mr Juniper said.
“Now the bookings are coming in and they’re looking quite strong and everyone is welcome to come up.”
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Newport Apartments Mooloolaba manager Ben Sullivan said occupancy had risen from 60 to 80 per cent for the two weeks and he hoped to fill the rest.
The 16-storey complex is offering discounts of 10 per cent for bookings through third parties and a generous 20 per cent saving for bookings made directly with Newport.
“We encourage everybody to book directly with the best operators who are trying to encourage more tourists to come so there are flow-on effects to the town,” Mr Sullivan said.
“We’re willing to take a hit to encourage as much tourism in town because we need the shops to stay open so more people will come back.”
Tracey Harris, of the Caloundra Holiday Centre, said their apartment bookings had been “full for a while”, likely because they were budget accommodation.
“We had cancellations early in September because of the Victorian lockdowns but they’ve been filling up as quickly as they become available,” she said.
“I had one cancellation which was filled in an hour.”
The Caloundra Holiday Centre manages 150 properties, from penthouses to budget apartments, and Ms Harris said she had very few nights available.
“The drive market (Brisbane and Darling Downs) has been filling everything up,” she said.
“Caloundra is very busy at the moment. I just walked up the street to get a coffee and there were people everywhere.
“Also at Kings Beach it’s impossible to get a carpark.”
Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Matt Stoeckel welcomed the increase in bookings for the school holiday period.
“It’s encouraging to see some booking websites report a last-minute increase in bookings for the September school holidays. However, this period would usually be full and we know there is still plenty of availability, particularly in the second week of the period.
“We also encourage locals to get out and treat the kids across our fantastic attractions and tours this school holiday.
“There is some great local tourism experiences and initiatives and there has never been a better time to support tourism businesses.
“For example, popular attraction Aussie World is offering all guests who visit between Saturday, 4 September, and Sunday, 3 October, a free return visit to use anytime in October, while Aquaduck has special tours for adults at kids prices.”
