Great Easter for Noosa businesses
FIVE glorious days of sunshine, perfect beach conditions and cheerful crowds do not a recovery make – but it was a hell of a start.
And despite the return to grey skies and annoying showers come the Wednesday return to work, Noosa is still basking in a post-Easter/Anzac Day glow.
For many traders, especially doing business in food, accommodation and entertainment, it rated as their best long-long-weekend break in three years.
According to Tourism Noosa CEO Steve Cooper, who travelled as far as Rainbow Beach over Easter checking out the holiday vibe, some retailers said they had not enjoyed such a bumper Easter for 12 years.
For Mr Cooper, the sound of chocolate egg foil being unwrapped, mixed nicely with the sounds of tinkling cash registers.
Then there is the promise of more retail therapy to come during the May Day long weekend which leads into the May Fiesta and the Noosa Winter Festival.
“The next 90 days are the litmus test for the local tourism industry recovery,” Mr Cooper said.
He said Queensland Tourism had played its bit in the lead-up to Easter with its recovery tourism promotions and now local traders were supporting the May Fiesta in an unprecedented way by value-adding to their packages.
“The best thing about the past five days was that it was a really good mix of visitors – the Brisbane people were back in force, obviously in need of the extended break after the disappointing weather.
“And there was a return to form from the Sydney and Melbourne visitors and the North Shore campers were here in great numbers as well.”
Mr Cooper said thanks to the fantastic weather and perfect beaches, there would be many thousands of people heading back home to tell everyone else just how good Noosa was.
He said the outdoor businesses which had borne the brunt of a record wet season, were at last smiling again with bumper bookings.
“It’s just so good to see all the charters and the river ferries full of people again and all the stand up paddlers taking lessons,” Mr Cooper said.
For hospitality hubs in Hastings St down to Peregian and along Gympie Terrace at Noosaville, it was the best of times after the worst of times as crowds arrived at Ti-Tree, Main Beach, and Sunshine Beach down to Pitta St in Peregian as the beaches were packed with happy holiday-makers soaking up the sun.
Hastings St Association president and restaurateur Jim Berardo was a happy man when the Noosa News called in to see how he rated local business.
“For five days, it couldn’t have been better,” Jim said.
There was a similar story to tell along Noosaville foreshore, Gympie Terrace and Noosa Marina, though some retailers said people were enjoying more coffee and eats than retail therapy.
