The Gold Coast tourism industry is bouncing back and travellers from New Zealand are playing a big part in the recovery.
The Coast has always been a popular holiday destination, but Kiwis have been travelling across the ditch in droves since borders opened earlier this year.
More holiday-makers could be on the way, with additional direct flights returning and New Zealand easing its COVID testing regulations.
Julia Bozich from New Zealand 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," Ms Bozich said.
"The Gold Coast is the number one destination we're getting enquiries about.
'Last barrier' about to lift
Trans-Tasman flights kicked off again on March 2 and there are currently 15 weekly return flights connecting the Gold Coast with Auckland, Wellington, and Queenstown.
More are returning soon, with flights to Christchurch back on Jetstar from June 25, followed by Air New Zealand on July 3.
Before the pandemic, 550,000 people travelled between Gold Coast Airport and New Zealand annually.
Destination Gold Coast data shows pre-COVID more than a quarter of all Kiwi holiday-makers to Australia came to the Coast, injecting about $200 million into the local economy.
On Thursday, the New Zealand government announced pre-departure testing to enter the country would be ditched from Tuesday.
"Families had been hit with an extra cost needed 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 Kiwis currently made up 65 per cent of his occupancy.
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."
Mr Stephens is part of a group of representatives from the tourism industry currently in New Zealand meeting with travel trade partners for the first time in more than two years.
