The wildly popular holiday spots where tourists and locals have been warned to stock up before Xmas

Retailers fear another round of panic buying will kick in ahead of Christmas at some of the country’s most popular tourism destinations.  

Trading laws will plunge 16 regional areas in Queensland into a four-day shutdown over the busiest shopping period of the year.

These areas include Mission Beach on the Cassowary Coast, Proserpine in the Whitsundays, Mt Isa, Ayr, Kingaroy and Goondiwindi. 

Major retailers in these locations will shut up shop from 6pm on December 24 until the morning of Tuesday December 29.  

16 regional areas in Queensland including popular tourist hot-spot Mission Beach (pictured) will head into a four day trading halt over Christmas

This means shoppers will need to stock up on essential goods ahead of the trading halt.

The National Retailers Association (NRA) has described the state’s legislation as the ‘dumbest trading hour laws in the nation’. 

NRA manager of industry policy David Stout said restrictions punish businesses, workers and shoppers. 

‘Christmas trading is the time when so many people have normal expenses, and workers are looking for every opportunity to pick up extra shifts to help make ends meet,’ Mr Stout told NCA Newswire.

‘For shoppers, being locked out of supermarkets and department stores at one of the busiest times of the year is extremely inconvenient. 

There are concerns grey nomads and other interstate travellers may get caught out by the trading restrictions (pictured: passenger arrives at Brisbane airport from Melbourne on Tuesday after borders reopened)

He believes the pending shop closures will result in hordes of shoppers turning up ahead of time to strip shelves bare. 

‘In the past we’ve seen that inconvenience turn to crisis when the forced shutdown coincides with a natural disaster and people are prevented from stocking up on essential items,’ he said.

The Labor-led Palaszczuk Government introduced trading hour reforms in 2017 and introduced a five-year freeze to prevent any changes until August 2022.

Attempts by retail groups to overturn the ban and allow trading on Sunday have been knocked back.

Retailers fear another round of panic buying will kick in ahead of Christmas as a result of the trading restrictions (pictured: empty shelves at Woolworths in Brisbane in March)

The trading restrictions are law as part of industrial regulations to give smaller and family owned retailers a chance to compete with national chains.

A large list of businesses are exempt from the trading ban including bakeries, delis, fruit and vegetable shops and chemists.

Larger supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths are not allowed to open during these periods.  

Queensland University of Technology marketing professor Dr Gary Mortimer believes the shop closures could come as a shock for many interstate tourists.

Mount Isa (pictured) is another location which will face a four day trading closure from December 24 to December 29 

He says grey nomads and other travellers will be unaware of the restrictions and may be caught out. 

Mr Morimer echoed concerns about the potential onset of panic buying.  

Queensland is the only state in the country to enforce this type of trading halt.

Other states and territories provide access to retailers seven days a week including during public holidays.