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Posted: 2022-06-02 04:42:26

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.

Tara Bennett stands outside St Mary's Church in Port Douglas.
Tara Bennett, the CEO of Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree, has launched a campaign to "adopt a worker" due to a crippling housing shortage.(ABC News: Kristy Sexton-McGrath)

"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.

Man stands outside restaurant
Salsa Bar and Grill owner Rhys Bawden says his existing staff are being forced out of Port Douglas due to rising rents and a lack of housing.(ABC Far North Qld: Kristy Sexton-McGrath)

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.

An image of Port Douglas foreshore with the Adopt A Worker slogan
Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree is asking empty nesters and those with spare bedrooms to consider renting space to seasonal hospitality workers. (Supplied: Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree)

"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.

Port Douglas tour operator Steve Edomondson on a boat in the Port Douglas marina, September 2021.
Steve Edmondson runs a reef tour business and says forward international bookings are stronger than pre-COVID levels.(ABC News: Nathan Morris)

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."

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