Laureth Rumble, who runs a resort in Queensland’s Whitsunday Islands, fears she is facing an 85% vacancy rate over the Christmas break after NSW holidaymakers cancelled trips due to NSW border closures.
Photograph: Alamy
Tourism businesses in regional Australia have reported losing up to 85% of summer bookings in a day as state borders closed to greater Sydney residents.
While the ban on international travel has supercharged domestic tourism demand, some popular destinations such as the Whitsundays have been hit with cancellations from big-spending Sydneysiders now unable to travel interstate during what is usually one of the busiest weeks of the year for tourism operators.