Queensland border closures ‘scaring people off’ visiting, experts warn

Andrew Hughes, a lecturer in marketing in the Research School of Management at the Australian National University, said the opening of state borders was great news but travellers were not ready to make bookings beyond a few weeks.

“What’s scaring people off is the border closures, because when they happen they happen very quickly, and people have a sense of being trapped,” Dr Hughes said.

“If people were given some certainty that they could have a day or two to get out of the state, then they might be more inclined to travel further.”

Travellers from NSW got a pre-emptive reminder of how quickly Queensland was willing to move on border issues as it announced closures to Perth and its surrounds after a coronavirus case was…