TOURISM Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) is urging visitors with existing bookings to Tropical North Queensland not to cancel with most accommodation open for business and tours resuming.
TTNQ chief executive officer Mark Olsen said it was vital that the region did not lose existing bookings and that people still made forward bookings for January.
“The Reef Fleet has resumed operations showcasing the Great Barrier Reef and today Skyrail Rainforest Cableway has opened so people can experience the might of the Barron Falls in its full glory in one of the world’s oldest rainforests,” he said.
“Many more experiences have opened including the Cairns Aquarium, while others such as Kuranda day tours are available from tomorrow and Paronella Park resumes on Friday.
“The Captain Cook Highway has reopened between Palm Cove and Cairns, along with the Kuranda Range Road and the Gillies Highway.
“There are two boat services a day between Cairns and Port Douglas while the coastal road is being repaired and we anticipate the inland road to Port Douglas will reopen by the weekend.”
Tropical North Queensland operators have already lost $60 million in bookings and are likely to lose $125 million over December and January, which represents 15 to 20 per cent of total expenditure over those months.
Mr Olsen said he is very concerned about the lack of bookings that would normally be coming in now for January and the level of cancellations that are being seen for January.
“Our community is pulling together with emergency service providers to help the people who have been impacted by flooding, but many of these people are small business owners or employees in the tourism industry who depend on visitors for their income,” he said.
“Our operators rely on summer school holiday visitation to get through the quieter months in February and March.
“Contact your accommodation provider to check they are open for business and please continue with your plans for a summer holiday in the tropics.”
Keep up with the latest news in Cairns and the Far North, and check out some of our top stories this week: TRC reading challenge begins and Protect your health after flooding.
