Outback Queensland tourism providers are desperate for visitors to return to the region, after record-breaking floods struck some — but not all — communities.
Tourism providers have told the ABC that there have been widespread cancellations across the west, even in towns which didn't experience last month's devastating flooding.
April is traditionally the start of the outback tourist season, but the chief executive officer of Longreach's Stockman's Hall of Fame said he had seen cancellations as far ahead as July.
"This is coming off the back of six months of summer, where we do very little trade," Lloyd Mills said.
"It's the bakeries, the pubs, the small stores that will really feel this … it's been devastating."
Mr Mills said many tourists believed that roads were closed to the outback, but many had reopened.
"There's no need to postpone your trip, get on the road and get out here," he said.
Lydia Evert, who runs Winton's historic Royal Open-Air Cinema, said ticket sales had dropped off significantly compared to this time last year.
"We're lacking numbers, please keep coming and supporting us because we need this season to be successful," Ms Evert said.
She urged tourists to take advantage of extra accommodation made available since the cancellations.
That's exactly what Perth travellers Charlotte Jorgensen and Karsten Jensen did when their road trip plans were up-ended by the floods.
Rather than follow their original route, they stayed in Winton for four nights and urged other travellers to be flexible with their plans.
Ms Jorgensen said she'd expected to see a lot of red dust, but instead was shocked to see "green everywhere" and an abundance of birdlife now the rain had cleared.
"We're very lucky because it never looks like that," she said.
Karen Ticehurst, a business owner at Cunnamulla in south-west Queensland where it has been "absolutely dead for about three weeks", agreed.
"There are going to be wildflowers everywhere and lots of birds too — it's going to be brilliant," the Cunnamulla Caravan Park owner said.
Bringing tourists back
While much of the outback is ready for visitors now, towns like Thargomindah and Adavale are still cleaning up from the floods but will need tourists as soon as they're open.
"We'd love to see you again, please re-book because I think it's going to be the most beautiful spring we've ever seen," Bulloo Shire Council Tourism Coordinator Danielle Tuit said.
The Queensland government estimated about 1 million people visited outback Queensland in 2024 and spent a total $791 million.
The chief executive of the Outback Queensland Tourism Association said she was hopeful tourists would want to experience the outback in full bloom after the rain had eased.
"We are ready to accept tourist in 90 per cent of our regions," Denise Brown said.
She said it may also be about re-imagining a holiday out west.
"The outback is not seen as a short break opportunity but if we get some good fares, we can encourage people to come out for four or six days, rent a car and drive around," she said.
The state government has renewed funding for the Outback Education Program, which offered financial incentives for schoolchildren to visit the outback.
Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said he was considering other ways he could assist to attract tourists back to the west.
"First and foremost, we want to get the tourists back," he said.
