According to new research commissioned by the Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF), COVID-19 clusters and subsequent border closures will cost the Australian tourism sector close to $7 billion in lost revenue over the summer holiday period, yet tourism honey pots like the Sunshine Coast, especially Noosa are full to the brim, even overflowing and charging ridiculous prices for accommodation in prime locations.
What TTF describes as the grim figures compiled by tourism economists Stafford Strategy show $6.8b in tourism spending will likely be leaked from the 24 Dec to 31 Jan, with most of the damage being done by travel restrictions imposed on NSW and Sydney.
TTF says that the research also reinforced the need for the Federal Government to extend the JobKeeper program for the travel sector, with forecasts around the lack of international visitors in 2021 and uncertainty over domestic borders likely leading to job losses in excess of 320,000 by Sep if no extension is agreed to.
While Job Keeper needs extending, to the contrary operators on the Sunshine Coast and elsewhere are complaining of dire staff shortages, as workers do not want to go off JobSeeker to take a job in hospitality.
A report by John Alwyn-Jones
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