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Subscriber only Organisers from one of Australia s most exclusive foodie experiences are offering a second opportunity for people to get involved in the dazzling event. An insatiable appetite for the 2021 White on Whitehaven Long Lunch resulted in the event being booked out in just 28 hours. Popular demand for the lunch on Whitehaven Beach has prompted organisers to release a second seating on Sunday May 30 - the day after the first seating. Fish D vine co-owner Kev Collins, who is hosting the event, said the record-breaking take-up of tickets proved Australian travellers were hungry for world-class food experiences at home.
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Subscriber only Any further extension of the JobKeeper payment needs to be targeted to ensure it is channelled to those who need it, Whitsunday MP Amanda Camm says. It comes after Tourism Whitsundays chief executive Tash Wheeler called on the Federal Government to extend the temporary payment past its scheduled end date of March 28. But the Whitsunday MP has stopped short of actively advocating for JobKeeper to be prolonged. Asked whether she supported its extension past March 28, Ms Camm said JobKeeper had been critical in supporting small and medium businesses across the region. If it is to be extended, it needs to be targeted to ensure it is supporting those who need it and who have been affected by both the pandemic and government decisions around border closures and restrictions, Ms Camm said.
With the summer holidays drawing to a close, and JobKeeper ending in March, tourism operators at Airlie Beach in north Queensland are concerned for the future.
“We are going to be back with bells on,” she said.
“We’re still in the hands of the state and federal governments, but there is already a lot of excitement about getting cruising back.”
In the last financial year before COVID, the Whitsundays was set to welcome more than 70 boats. Carnival cruises are set to return to Queensland this year. Picture: Aerial Media Gladstone
With each passenger spending an average of $150 during their onshore visits, the industry was set to make about $10 million from cruises alone.
Tourism Whitsundays CEO Tash Wheeler said the potential return of cruises would go a long way in bolstering the number of visitors in the quieter months.