Traffic toots for tourism but Tom Tate is not for turning
A “Toot for Tourism” protest through Surfers Paradise has left Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate unmoved in his support for the Queensland Government’s refusal to rush to open the state border.
Tourism operators rallied on the Gold Coast, Cairns and the Sunshine Coast demanding Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk open the Queensland border that has been closed since March.
The tourism businesses want an end date for the border closure to be locked in, calling for the government to stick to the July 10 date outlined in the state’s roadmap to recovery.
In a position that has had the mayor at odds with the tourism industry, Tate reaffirmed his support for the Premier.
“My attitude is that I’m tooting for tourism too, my way and the Premier’s way,” Tate said.
“My position is that I absolutely support (Queensland Chief Health Officer) Dr Jeanette Young in her assessment of our medical situation. When she says we are ready to go, I’m with her.”
Tate said he too hoped it would be safe to open the border in July to bring families and events back to the tourism capital. The Pan Pacific Masters Games on Tuesday announced that the 2020 event scheduled for November was cancelled, becoming the 23rd major event to be cancelled on the Gold Coast due to the impacts of coronavirus.
“Once we get through this and when we get the borders open there’s no repercussion or going backwards with COVID-19. So I’m tooting away. Fingers crossed that on July 10 the border can be opened.”
Tourism chiefs said the Premier’s suggestion that the border may not be opened until September would cost Gold Coast Tourism an extra $500 million on top of the industry’s $4 billion losses due to coronavirus.
Many businesses relying on tourism dollars from visitors from the south said they may not be able to survive until September,
Hot Air Gold Coast owner Greg Daven who was part of the Gold Coast protest said keeping the border closed with no firm opening date was having a massive impact.
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“We just need a date from the Premier,” Daven said.
“If it’s another month before she makes any decision on the borders, it is another month of booking period that disappears from people from NSW and Victoria who are going to plan for their holidays. So if we stay closed for another month, possibly two months, we can almost kiss goodbye to the September/October school holidays and even the December holidays as well.”
This article is supported by the Judith Neilson Institute for journalism and ideas
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