Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief Mark Olsen said two particular nations are being mapped out, with Japan and New Zealand at the top of the list.
“Once we reach the 90 per cent mark Brisbane will be first and Cairns will follow,” he said.
“Jetstar has Japan flights starting in March and Air New Zealand are most likely to follow in April or May."
“At this stage forward bookings are strong for Easter and international travel will return after that and kickstart winter.”
Major adventure tourism chief executive John O’Sullivan said the Federal government's decision making will shape travel investment for the foreseeable future.
“A return will be dictated by the federal government as to what markets will open and under what conditions,” he said.
“And the other big factor is if they let double vaccinated foreign nationals in for tourism purposes."
Industry leaders say they have never seen Cairns this quiet in the past 25 years, and the next steps surrounding entry for tourists is important to the areas survival.
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