Easter holiday campers on North Stradbroke Island have had plans cancelled and tourism operators fear they could be out-of-pocket during the long weekend following the closure of some campsites and caps on numbers.

Minjerribah Camping has capped the number of campers per site across North Stradbroke Island and closed three popular camping grounds but denied it has permanently banned camping or cancelled Easter bookings.

The move has led to an outcry from campers who flock to the popular holiday destination annually and left small business and tourism operators fearing downturns during the peak season.

Tent bookings are prohibited at Home Beach, Adder Rock or Amity Point, with caravan sites, cabins or eco tents available at certain sites, and the number of campers per site has been limited to four adults or two adults and three children under 16 at all camping grounds on North Stradbroke Island for the Easter weekend.

Adams Beach, Bradbury's Beach still closed

Adams Beach, which was closed over radioactive sand concerns, and Bradbury's Beach, which closed last year amid COVID-19 and for infrastructure development, remain closed.

Minjerribah Camping said the decision for no tent bookings at Amity Point, Adder Rock or Home Beach was due to COVID safe plans to protect campers and the local indigenous community on its website.

In a statement on its website, Minjerribah Camping said tent camping had not been permanently banned from Minjerribah Camping and had not cancelled any bookings for Easter.

"Adams Beach is contaminated as per signage at the campgrounds. Minjerribah Camping is awaiting clearance from the Queensland Government Department of Resources," the statement said.

"Bradbury's Beach will re-open once infrastructure upgrades are completed.

"Minjerribah Camping remains a financially robust and efficient entity as outlined in QYAC annual reports."

Booked out already

Straddie Chamber of Commerce chair Colin Battersby said most holiday accommodation, houses and apartments were already booked out for the Easter weekend.

But the decision to limit campers could see an estimated 60 per cent drop in the number of campers compared to Easter in 2019, impacting local business and tourism operators, Mr Battersby said.

"They're the people who buy fish and chips, go to the supermarket, have a schooner at the pub, inevitably there will be an impact on the number of people floating around," he said.

Flow-on effect for local business

"Small businesses rely on making an earning in Easter, then we go into winter, and generally, it's a lot quieter, so hopefully you get a bit of money in the bank in April to see you through winter.

"For some people that will be more of a struggle, particularly at Dunwich, so we'd encourage all visitors to stop in at Dunwich and buy a pie, go to the gallery and spend a bit of money around there."

'We're all in tourism directly or indirectly'

Mr Battersby said retailers, the pub, services, cafes and restaurants and tourism operators on North Stradbroke would be impacted.

"They're the businesses that are really going to suffer … We're all in tourism directly or indirectly," he said.

Owner of Straddie Super Sports, which sells camping and recreational gear, Jim Campbell, said he was disappointed by the closure of camp sites and caps on numbers and the impact it could have on business.

"The fact they've closed Adams Beach and Bradbury Beach could be devastating for us. We rely on those two camping grounds. We're a Dunwich business. I've got five employees all up and we rely on people coming over," he said.

"I own a camping shop. We sell camping gear, general sporting gear, all of those things campers would normally come and get. If we don't have the people there, it could be tough on us."

Surf School owner Murray Taylor said school groups were already experiencing problems booking campsites for this month and feared word would spread about the challenges of securing a site and groups may go elsewhere.

"Our business relies on school groups being able to come and camp on North Stradbroke Island and experience the culture and natural environment in a multitude of ways, whether it's doing adventure activities or cultural activities," he said.

"So far, we've just had one group cancel, for 30 people, due to their inability to secure camping."

Brisbane woman Michelle Van Dyk has been camping on Straddie since the 1970s and for the last 8-10 years in January at Amity Point with family and friends but missed out earlier this year because of COVID-19 restrictions.

"We all love it. We all camp right on the beach. We have some friends who camp without 4WD, so that's why we can't camp at Flinders or Main beach," she said.

We're not sure what's happening to the corporation [Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation], but they're cutting off a large portion of their loyal campers."