One among ‘finest Easter seasons’ on report buoys tourism’s vacation hopes

Up to 300 people a day, mostly families from Melbourne, visited the orchard with tractors over Easter to sample and collect strawberry guavas, lemon guavas, figs, pomegranates, kiwis and other fruits.

“The last four days have been fabulous,” said Rayner.

The good weather was a lifeline for the orchard, but after losing his JobKeeper payment, Mr. Rayner fears that winter visitors will collapse.

“We think as soon as it gets cold the locals won’t come out. If we have a rainy day here, you don’t see any customers at all, ”he said.

“When we get into winter, this business will be a disaster. In winter our business was 100 percent international tourism. “

The Age National Visitor Survey data showed that the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges saw the largest percentage decline in visitor numbers and total spending in regional Victoria in 2020.

Len Rayner on his farm in Woori YallockRecognition:Eddie Jim

Simon O’Callaghan, executive director of Yarra Ranges Tourism, said the numbers were due to the region being included in Melbourne’s fourth stage lockdown.

“Other regions could still offer interregional travel and all the events we were hosting have been canceled,” he said.

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Mr O’Callaghan said a return of events and an increase in labor availability at the end of JobKeeper could boost tourism in the area.

“If the people really want to help tourism in the Victoria area, booking an off-peak weekday vacation is the best way to go.”

Wayne Kayler-Thomson, chairman of regional tourism on the Great Ocean Road, said southwest Victoria was enjoying a “normal” Easter vacation thanks to local visitors and good weather.

“What we don’t get are international visitors and certainly not international visitors,” he said.

Tracey Cooper, executive chairman of Mornington Peninsula Regional Tourism, said school vacation bookings “seem okay” but longer-term bookings have been decreasing.

“It’s a normal school holiday season, but our advance bookings are harder to predict,” said Ms. Cooper.

“People feel insecure and don’t like to book too far in advance.”

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