Dollar hits tourist trade

But more distant locations, such as far north Queensland and the Northern Territory, were affected by the high Australian dollar, as some tourists felt that the currency could go further in the South Pacific and Asia.Port Douglas, north of Cairns, was not as full as it has been in the past over Easter, but Andrew Croke from Melbourne was still having a great time.

"It was easy to get up here, and a lot of our friends had recommended far north Queensland. We have relatives in Cairns and we are staying a couple of nights at Port Douglas," he said."It's great to get away. We're also conscious that this area got hit badly in the cyclone, so it's nice to go somewhere where you know they need a hand."

Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said anecdotal evidence from the Gold and Sunshine coasts indicated that they had both enjoyed a solid Easter.The state tourism industry mounted a campaign based around the slogan "Nothing Beats Queensland" following the summer of floods and cyclones.

"On the whole, the industry would be pleased with Easter, and our marketing campaign has had some effect," he said."But destinations which require some travel such as Cairns and the Whitsundays have faced problems because of the high level of the Australian dollar.

"It means you can spend a bit more in overseas countries and, conversely, those who come here have less money. It's not showing up yet in our visitor numbers, but those who do visit here are spending less."Queensland University associate professor in tourism Noel Scott said South Pacific destinations such as Fiji and Asian countries such as Vietnam and Bali had benefited from the high Australian dollar.

"There's a five-day weekend and then only three days back, and I suspect a lot of people will take those three days as a holiday," he said. "There are a lot of people camping on the beaches and in those sort of places. At Easter, most people look for a holiday that they can drive to easily."

But the owner of the Kanasta Caravan Park on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, Sonia Bowles, said that putting the Anzac Day holiday into Easter had no benefit for her business."We've been booked out every night over Easter except for tonight," she said yesterday.

Source = theaustralian.com.au