Hotel closure has negative effects on Daintree Village tourism and social life

PUBLESS TOWN

David Gardiner

Journalist

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Tour operators and other businesses say the closure of the Daintree Village Hotel is bad for tourism and local social life. Picture:File/Submitted

There’s still no further word on if and when the Daintree Village Hotel might re-open, and the closure has affected tourism and local social life, according to other business operators.

The Hotel shut down with just two days’ notice and the hours of the attached general store and postal agency were drastically reduced two and a half weeks ago, leaving uncertainty among staff and customers alike about the establishment’s future.

Dean Clapp, who operates Crocodile Express Daintree River Cruises, as well as a neighbouring café and a souvenir shop on the same side of the street as the Hotel, said the closure took other businesses and local residents by surprise.

“There was no indication the Hotel was about to close,” Mr Clapp told Newsport.

“Now there’s nowhere for tourists and locals to go for a drink and an evening meal,” he said. “It’s bad for tourism and locals.”

Mr Clapp said all they’ve heard in the Village are unconfirmed rumours that the Hotel might re-open “in a couple of weeks, or a couple of months”, but the talk is unsubstantiated.

We reached out to the Hotel and General Store’s owners, Northern Escape Collection, soon after it closed but have to date not received any response. There’s also been nothing back to our queries via their Facebook page.

There haven’t been any further updates on the Hotel’s social media since a post letting customers know that the postal agency aspect of the business would be cutting back to three days a week, from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

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