The Gold Coast tourism industry is bouncing back and travellers from New Zealand are playing a big part in the recovery.
Surfers catching waves at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. Photo: 123RF
More holiday-makers could be on their way, with additional direct flights returning and the New Zealand government easing its Covid-19 testing regulations.
Julia Bozich from travel agency House of Travel said she had been "overwhelmed" by the number of Kiwis wanting to travel to the Gold Coast.
"It's been a phenomenal few months, huge interest, lots and lots of pent up demand," Bozich said.
"The Gold Coast is the number one destination we're getting enquiries about.
"We just need more flights. We're running out of seats on planes, that's how popular it has been. It's a busy, busy time."
'Last barrier' about to lift
Trans-Tasman flights kicked off again on 2 March and there are now 15 weekly return flights connecting the Gold Coast with Auckland, Wellington, and Queenstown.
More are returning soon, with flights to Christchurch back on Jetstar's schedule from 25 June, followed by Air New Zealand on 3 July.
Jetstar will be flying to the Gold Coast from Christchurch from next week, followed soon after by Air New Zealand. Photo: 123rf
Before the pandemic, 550,000 people travelled between Gold Coast Airport and New Zealand annually.
Destination Gold Coast data shows pre-Covid-19 more than a quarter of all Kiwi holiday-makers to Australia came to the Coast, injecting about $A200 million ($NZ221m) into the local economy.
On Thursday, the government announced pre-departure testing to enter the country would be ditched from Tuesday.
"We're expecting another surge of enquiries once that's gone," Bozich said.
"Families had been hit with an extra cost needing to do that [pre-departure testing] so we're anticipating that we'll see a big surge in the family market wanting to book their Gold Coast holidays."
'Unbelievable' bounce-back
Mick Stephens from The Breakers Apartments in Surfers Paradise said New Zealanders made up 65 percent of his occupancy.
"Once the Kiwis were allowed to travel they started booking. We've got bookings up to August-September from the Kiwi market," Stephens said.
He said the bounce-back of the tourism industry was unbelievable.
"We had the best April that we've had in eight to 10 years," he said.
"We haven't had a weekend spare for the last 12 weekends. We've been booked out every weekend, no vacancy."
Stephens is part of a group of representatives from the tourism industry visiting New Zealand to meet with travel trade partners for the first time in more than two years.
"I've been doing this for 21 years and I've never presented in front of so many travel agents as I did last night in Auckland," he said.
-ABC