REDLANDS is expecting a bumper December season with North Stradbroke Island booked out despite two beach campgrounds being closed.
Council rolled out a destination marketing campaign when COVID-19 restrictions eased to encourage domestic day and overnight visits.
Accommodation at Straddie is 90 per cent booked out from December into late January.
However, the season has been marred by the closure of two popular beach camping grounds - Adams Beach and Bradbury's Beach at Dunwich.
Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Cameron Costello said QYAC had been hoping to finish maintenance and upgrade works during COVID-19 but there had been delays with contractors.
"We didn't want to go into next year having to close down," he said.
"2020 has been a year of disruptions and we want 2021 to run as smoothly as possible."
He said campgrounds were expected to be busy, although COVID-19 meant campers could not be packed in as had been the case in previous years.
"We're pretty much booked up," he said.
Stradbroke Chamber of Commerce chairman Colin Battersby, who owns a real estate agency, said he had seen a big jump in holiday bookings this year.
"We have seen a steady flow of visitors since we reopened after COVID with people not only coming over for weekends, but mid-week stays too," he said.
Mr Battersby said bookings were mostly from south-east Queensland.
"By the time state borders opened, it was too late - we were booked up," he said.
"We had a lot of bookings in advance and saw a spike in our website traffic."
He said the closure of beach campsites was disappointing.
"Businesses in Dunwich rely on tourism and it will have an impact on retail in the area... it's really a regrettable decision," he said.
Mr Battersby said it was unlikely visitors who had been booked in at the beach sites would be able to find alternate accommodation as he was already booked up.
Mr Costello said about 30 campers had been relocated from the Dunwich sites to other campgrounds.
Oodgeroo MP Mark Robinson said Dunwich businesses would suffer from the closure of the two grounds.
"It is most unfortunate that the small businesses don't seem to have been given the courtesy of being fully consulted," he said.
"When it is peak season it is important that the island is fully open for business to make the most of the tourism opportunities and to protect the local jobs and small businesses."
Angela Kelly
Redland City Bulletin senior journalist covering politics, community issues and human interest stories. South African living the dream in Australia.
Redland City Bulletin senior journalist covering politics, community issues and human interest stories. South African living the dream in Australia.
