While the tourism industry is facing a rocky and uncertain future, there is little doubt that it is domestic tourism that will lead the way in the post-severe lockdown recovery … but how will it play out?
Will grey nomads and other travellers feel comfortable going into smaller rural communities, given the strong message they were given just a few weeks ago about not adding to the risk of overwhelming limited local medical facilities in country areas.
The Chief Economist at the Regional Australia Institute, Kim Houghton, said the places most affected by coronavirus travel restrictions had been small towns, rather than big holiday destinations such as those in south-east Queensland.
“For those smaller places where there isn’t a lot a lot of other activity going on, reliance on tourism is much higher, paradoxically, than in some of those more well known tourism destinations,” he said.
However, he did argue that, as things opened up again, these rural communities would be seen by travellers as attractive, low-risk destinations.
“If regional places can maintain that sense of safety from the virus that will put them in good standing as potential destinations for that first round of visits,” he said.
It is likely to be a long, long time before overseas visitors are allowed to come to Australia again, or indeed Australians head abroad to holiday, so agencies like Tourism Australia are focussing a lot of attention and resources on stimulating domestic tourism.
State border restrictions will probably also remain in place for some time yet, so it is intrastate travel which will be the first grey nomad cab off the rank.
South Australian Senator and Federal Tourism Minister, Simon Birmingham, has been ramping up calls for Australians to holiday more locally when more movement is allowed.
“Once travel is allowed, I’ll be encouraging Australians to support local tourism jobs by choosing to holiday in amazing destinations like South Australia,” he said.
And South Australian Premier, Steven Marshall, agreed … saying it was an opportunity for people to truly see the magical locations on their own doorstep.
“This is a perfect opportunity for us to sell regional tourism to our own state,” he said. “There are still many people in South Australia who have never been to the Flinders Ranges, Kangaroo Island or the great beaches on Eyre Peninsula.”
If I can’t go to lovely warm & sunny Qld, I’ll stay home where I’m relatively warm & comfortable. Apart from the fact that I’ve seen pretty much everything in my home state.
I sure am !!!! I have a four month NT trip planned. Stopped last year by a small operation. Stuffed up again this year by Covid. It will be too late in the year when restrictions are lifted. So next year it is (hopefully).
If you are a Queenslander your backyard extends out to 50km’s from home. Can’t even get to the Gold Coast or Ipswich from my place.