November 25, 2020 CASSOWARY COAST WELCOMES REOPENING OF BORDERS FOR TOURISM BOOST

Cassowary Coast Regional Council Councillor and Economic Development and Tourism Portfolio holder Kylie Farinelli today said that Queensland reopening their border to Victoria and New South Wales from 1 December 2020 is a huge step forward and a welcome relief to our tourism sector. 

“The reuniting of the states in the lead up to Christmas and school holidays is the perfect opportunity to encourage visitors to visit the Cassowary Coast and unwind after a stressful 2020. 

“The border reopening will reboot interstate travel for both leisure and business, allow residents on both sides to plan visits to family and friends over the holiday season. 

“This is news many families have been waiting so long to hear. If you have family visiting over the Christmas and New Year period, I’d encourage you to pick up the ‘102 Things to Do’ on the Cassowary Coast’ and explore our beautiful region. 

“The coast has many hidden gems and is the perfect spot to get away from it all and end the year on a high note. This time of year our many waterfalls, fresh water billabongs, and coastal islands are ripe and ready for people to enjoy. 

“The local tourism industry has been significantly affected by the international and interstate border closure and Council has been proud to work collaboratively with Tropical Coast Tourism on a number of initiatives this year. 

“This included the ‘102 things-to-do’ promotion, attending the Cairns Expo and Ironman Expo to highlight the Cassowary Coast as a holiday destination, presentations to Chambers throughout the year, and the two organisations have been in regular contact to ensure we were on the front foot to promote tourism in an ever changing environment. 

“With more people visiting our region and hitting the roads, I’d encourage the community to remember to take regular breaks when driving long distances, stick to the speed limits and stay safe this holiday season,“ 

Tropical Coast Tourism Executive Officer Patrick Bluett said Tropical Coast Tourism welcomes the reopening of the New South Wales & Victoria borders effective from the 1 of December. Not only is it great for visiting family and friends over the school and Christmas holidays but it does provide Tropical Coast Tourism the opportunity to target those Australians who would normally head overseas for their summer holidays. 

“We will be encouraging those people to holiday up here – Summer In The Tropics. 

“From December through to March we are historically reliant on international visitation, we need to plug that gap as much as possible. The opening of two key markets affords us an opportunity to do that.” 

For more information on ‘102 Things to Do’, please visit https://www.cassowarycoast.qld.gov.au/102-things 

To visit the Tropical Coast Tourism webpage, please visit https://tropicalcoasttourism.com.au/.