Survey finds almost two thirds of Australians do not plan to travel this Easter

Tourism operators are warning the uncertainty over state border closures is continuing to hurt businesses across Australia with almost two thirds of people not planning to travel anywhere this Easter. The survey was conducted by the Tourism and Transport Forum before Greater Brisbane went into its three-day lockdown and also found 32 per cent of people were not planning to travel anywhere over the next 12 months. Tourism and Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond told Sky News there is no doubt damage has already been done to Queensland’s Easter tourism despite the fact the lockdown has ended. “The question is how much of those vacancies can be filled by locals and by other people who will make an opportunistic decision now thinking there might be some vacancies to head north to Queensland,” she said. “We were calculating earlier in the week something like $9 to $10 million just in hotel cancellations in the first 24 hours and possibly up to $35 million in hotel cancellations over the weekend at large”. Ms Osmond said the “confidence issue” affects all travel destinations with people not only concerned about the state they might be going to but restrictions which might be enforced back home.

from Breaking National News and Australian News | Daily Telegraph https://ift.tt/3uiqHlU