Millions of dollars are expected to be injected into the local economy across the school-holiday period, as thousands of visitors flock to the Gold Coast.
The Gold Coast is currently the number one searched destination in Australia, and local hotel occupancy rates are sitting at 75-85% for the Easter holidays.
For the first time in two years, the Glitter Strip will be buzzing with interstate and international holiday-makers and is set to smash pre-covid records.
Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan says they anticipate a massive $173 million fed into the local economy over Easter.
“This is a significant boost after a really difficult two years in living with this pandemic,”
“If all goes to plan it looks like this Easter we’ll smash pre-covid levels.” Ms O’Callaghan says.
The Gold Coast Airport is expected to break a record, with 28,000 travellers already scheduled to fly in on Easter Monday.
This will be even busier than their biggest April day ever- which was during the Gold Coast’s Commonwealth Games in 2018.
It comes after the Gold Coast Airport recorded its busiest days in two years last week.
Queensland Airports Limited COO Marion Charlton says it’s great to see the airport bustling with people again.
“It’s starting to look a lot like Easter, and a pre-pandemic Easter at that,” Ms Charlton says.
“It’s just really exciting to see people feeling confident and comfortable to travel again.”
PHOTO: © ChameleonsEye / Shutterstock.com
Plenty of international travellers from New Zealand are also hitting the Gold Coast’s shores.
“Those flights from New Zealand are about 80% loaded into April,” Ms O’Callaghan says.
“We’re seeing international return, we know it’s not a tap that will turn on overnight, but they’re coming.”
