A major campaign to find beds for tourism workers has been launched as a crippling housing shortage combined with the return of international tourists threatens to derail the industry.
The far north Queensland tourism mecca of Port Douglas — long favoured by US presidents and celebrities — has one of the lowest rental vacancy rates in the country at just 0.4 per cent.
Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree chief executive officer Tara Bennett said the Adopt a Worker project was asking the community to put forward "any space they may have to accommodate our much-needed seasonal workers" in exchange for cash.
"If you have a spare room, granny flat, vacant land suited to a tent or a van, we're urging you to adopt a worker," Ms Bennett said.
"We are seeing a lot of interest from people wanting to come up and work in the region, the destination is attractive, especially in the winter, but once they are getting here they are [not] finding a place to stay.
Rhys Bawden owns the Salsa Bar and Grill near the Port Douglas waterfront, which recently marked its 27th anniversary.
Dozens of plates signed by the likes of Hollywood stars Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson adorn the walls, while singers Ed Sheeran and Kylie Minogue have also dropped in for a meal.
He said the critical housing shortage was impacting on business.
"We have staff members that have lived and worked in Port Douglas for over 15 years losing their homes to increased rent making them unaffordable, or properties that are being taken out of the rental pool to become holiday homes," Mr Bawden said.
Road to recovery
It has been a dire two years for the far north Queensland tourism industry with border closures due to COVID-19 crippling an industry once worth $2.5 billion a year to the local economy.
But there are signs of recovery. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show there were 29,780 short-term visitor arrivals to Queensland in March this year, an increase of 28,410 compared with the same time the previous year.
Three months since international borders reopened, Ms Bennett said the industry was optimistic, particularly during the peak winter months.
"The bookings are fantastic, we have every chance of having the strongest year the region has ever seen," Ms Bennett said.
"We are already trading well above pre-COVID averages.
Steve Edmondson from Sailaway Reef and Island Tours said they had "never been so busy" taking tourists to the Great Barrier Reef.
"We have four to five full trips every day, our sunset tours are booked out two weeks ahead and there's also a lot of private charters," he said.
"We have stronger forward international bookings than when we did before COVID."
