‘Early bird’ plan to help ease waiting times on Daintree Ferry
DAINTREE
AN early bird discount will be trialled on the Daintree Ferry this school holiday period to entice visitors to travel at earlier times.
The ferry has experienced record numbers over the last 18 months which has seen waiting times increased during peak periods.
Douglas Shire Mayor Julia Leu said she’d been working with local tourism operators in the Daintree to try and ease congestion and delays.
The new initiative will see return fares slashed by over 25 per cent to $20 with one-way fares available for $10, a discount of over 33 per cent for self-drive tourists.
“From September 15 to October 3 council will trial an ‘early bird’ discount for ferry travellers for any vehicle in the car/ute category travelling before 9am each day” Mayor Leu said.
“This initiative also has the added benefit of encouraging self-drive visitors to spend longer north of the Daintree River so they have more time to experience the beauty of the region and the diversity of tours and activities available.”
Council's Douglas Card - which offers residents of the Douglas Shire and surrounding areas free travel between November 1 and 28 February - had helped stimulate the record visitor numbers for the region.
“We are hopeful this new ‘early bird’ discount for self-drive tourists during this trial period will also have a positive impact on not just the Daintree economy, but make the experience of visiting the Daintree better for everyone by reducing the demand for travel during peak periods for north bound traffic,” Leu said.
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