Tourism chiefs are hopeful Melburnians will snap up last minute holidays to head north to Queensland these school holidays amid the growing COVID-19 cluster in NSW.

Numerous NSW local government areas have been declared hotspots from 1am tomorrow, while Greater Melbourne has been removed from the list.

CEO of the Tourism and Transport Forum, Margy Osmond said the situation was a “moveable feast”.

“Could not be worse timing, I find myself saying that too often,” she told Scott Emerson.

She said there is an industry briefing tomorrow scheduled with the state government ahead of the school holidays.

“Travellers are now routinely leaving their bookings until the last minute … I would think that in Queensland cancellations from people from NSW who won’t be travelling now because of this uncertainty, are likely to be zipped up as quickly as possible, by people from Melbourne looking for a break in the sun.

“I certainly hope that is what happens from Queensland’s point of view.”

Press PLAY below to hear her reaction to the latest border closures

CEO of Flight Centre, Graham Turner, said it was positive that Queensland and Victoria seemed focus on the hotspot approach.

He said while it’s still possible Queensland will shut off the border to all of NSW, it was a good start.

“I think is a really good start, and I think it does mean there is a bit of science coming into some of the Chief Health officers and Premiers are doing.”

He said people who have made bookings are “getting skittish”about what’s going to happen ahead of the school holidays, and State of Origin game two on Sunday.

“We’ve got a couple of reasons to be a bit more careful about shutting borders and that sort of thing.”

Press PLAY below to hear his views

Queensland declares all of Sydney a COVID-hotspot