No vacancy: Influx of tourists, workers see Geraldton hotel accommodation dry up

It’s not school holidays and we’re not in the middle of a major event, yet Geraldton is all booked up. The grim reality of the city’s accommodation shortage is a result of an influx of tourists and companies putting up their workers and contractors in hotels. No hotel, motel or Airbnb in Geraldton could take bookings this week, aside from some accommodation providers which could only offer a day or two. A comprehensive search for a week’s accommodation in Geraldton a few days ago came back with a single result — for a female backpackers’ dorm room. Geraldton Visitor Centre said a combination of tourists and a high demand for contractors in the region has seen vacancies dry up. The Nesuto Apartment Hotel has been booked out with workers since cyclone Seroja hit in April, most of them brought in to help the clean-up and rebuild. The Gerald Hotel is heavily booked for the next six weeks, with a long waiting list for cancellations. “It is extremely busy, with people looking for accommodation daily,” manager Gemma Clark said. “A lot are corporates, although there are quite a few leisure travellers coming through as well.” She predicted the flood would not ease until November, before ramping back up for the Christmas holidays. While August through September is a busy time for hospitality every year, ibis Styles manager Gareth Galloway said his hotel had had a higher influx of tourists than usual for this year’s bumper wildflower season. “Local tour companies are doing big numbers,” he said. Even once the tourism wave breaks, Mr Galloway doesn’t expect accommodation to open up. “He’s seeing workers come in for new mines, and for work at the port. “When one project finishes, there’s always another to take its place,” he said. A difficult rental market is only piling on pressure. Local businesses luring staff from other regions are having to put them up in hotels for lengthy stays while they struggle to find their own housing. Mid West Chamber of Commerce CEO Joanne Fabling said Geraldton’s 3000 hotel beds weren’t enough to support demand from business. She believes the rental situation is a “flow-on effect” from the flat housing market of previous years, and said business and tourism could stagnate again without investment, especially in the power grid. “We’ve got a power grid that was built 48 years ago for a 50-year lifespan ... it’s so fragile,” she said. “You’ve got the Batavia (Motor Inne) sitting derelict, with vagrants living in it, because nobody wants to invest.” Accommodation will be further stretched with the Shore Leave Festival at the end of the month leading into school holidays.