Up to 80,000 passengers are expected to use Gold Coast Airport from today and over the long weekend, giving local tourism operators a much-needed boost following a rocky start to the summer season.
Queensland Airports Ltd chief commercial officer Adam Rowe said Friday's public holiday would give people extra incentive to make travel plans and cap off an already strong start to the year for the airport.
“Approximately 20,000 passengers a day use Gold Coast Airport throughout January,” he said.
“While this is a busy time of year, passenger numbers are much more stable than previous years due to increased market competition with Bonza and the 11 new routes we have opened in the past few months. , the numbers for the New Zealand market,” Mr Lowe said.
Experience Gold Coast executive director of tourism Rachel Hancock said the big weekend was expected to generate $49 million in economic activity.
“Our tourism operators are reporting strong occupancy rates this long weekend, reaching 80% and in many cases exceeding 90%,” she said.
“We expect the three-day period to inject approximately $49 million into the Gold Coast tourist economy, which is much-needed as the peak period between Christmas and New Year has been affected. This is a promotion measure.
“Upcoming events include the AACTA Festival and Awards, the Gold Coast Open and P!NK’s Summer Carnival, as well as Lunar New Year, which showcases the huge potential of the Chinese market.”
