GANNAWARRA Shire accommodation businesses are reporting mixed results for visitation and bookings as Victoria slowly reopens to travel.
Tourism has been picking up since regional Victorians got the go-ahead to move around from September 17 and by next Monday the “ring of steel” preventing Melbourne residents leaving the city is due to be dismantled.
At the Ibis Caravan Park just south of Kerang, owner Ross Richards and his partner Denise Poletti have been seeing a lot of traffic since September 17.
Mr Richards, who has been carrying out improvements on the park since he bought it in early 2018, said business had been kept steady during the pandemic by essential services workers.
“We’ve had shed builders, shearers, tree loppers, NBN workers, first aid guys,” he said.
Since the relaxation of regional travel restrictions, grey nomad caravanners had started to arrive.
“We had 40 vans in the weekend before last, including a caravan club in from the Cobram-Wangaratta area,” Mr Richards said.
“Most of them came in for two days and ended up staying five days to a week.”
The couple said they had some advance bookings for next year and their holiday cabin inquiries had increased significantly.
At the Kerang Caravan and Tourist Park, owners Len and Kathy Sweet have started to see a mix of families and retirees.
“We’re getting a few caravans in, mainly people from Ballarat, Bendigo and Echuca way,” Mr Sweet said.
He said some people who rang with inquiries in recent weeks had been deterred from staying when they heard the town’s pubs weren’t fully open and serving daily meals.
“That was a bit of a downer,” he said.
However, from next Monday both Kerang pubs are due to be up and running.
Kerang Motel’s Kristie Lavell said permitted workers were still coming through but bookings from other travellers were sporadic, with people “still very cautious”.
“Normally for Christmas and holiday times you get your advanced bookings but everyone is still very cautious at the moment about what may or may not change.”
“Fingers crossed everyone will start getting out and about again but we’ll just have to wait and see.”
At the Cohuna Waterfront Holiday Park it had been “crazy busy” with visitors from regional Victoria in recent weeks, manager Jennah Martin said, with forward bookings also very good.
“People are expressing relief and joy to be out travelling again,” she said.
“We’re just looking forward to Melbourne being back open and being able to have them come to us.”
