Tourist towns: Melbourne’s best summer hot spots

THESE are the towns that are transformed every summer from quiet hideaways to bustling holiday hot spots. And Victoria’s favourite destinations are already enjoying a bumper season.

THEY’RE the towns that are transformed every summer from quiet hideaways to bustling holiday hot spots, bringing economic and jobs benefits.

Victoria’s favourite destinations are enjoying a bumper season already thanks to hot weather over the Christmas-New Year period.

The population of Lorne on the Surf Coast skyrockets every summer with a staggering 1275 per cent increase on its number of permanent residents to its holiday peak, from 1111 to 15,271.

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Holiday makers at Ocean Grove surf beach. Picture: Mark Stewart

Holiday goers enjoy the weather at Torquay. Picture: Mark Stewart

The Aireys Inlet/Fairhaven/Moggs Creek area’s population jumps from 1191 to 7539 — an increase of 533 per cent, according to the City of Greater Geelong’s economic development department data.

And new figures from the state tourism authority, Visit Victoria showed more than 1.3 million domestic visitors went to the Great Ocean Road region last summer.

But the region was topped by the more than 1.6 million Australians who visited the Mornington Peninsula from December 2016 to January 2017.

Mornington Peninsula Regional Tourism Board chairwoman Tracey Cooper said visitors were looking for something new outside of the area’s traditional attractions such as the bay, beach and wineries.

“People now are looking for new experiences,’’ Ms Cooper said.

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Rye Beach on the Mornington Peninsula. Picture: Jason Edwards

Rye Beach packed full of holiday-makers on the Mornington Peninsula. Picture: Jason Edwards

Tourists were drawn by the appeal of the outdoor sculpture park at Pt Leo Estate, dining in old horse stables at St Andrews Beach Brewery and brewing their own gin at the Bass & Flinders Distillery.

In the peak tourism zone of Portsea-Sorrento-Blairgowrie, three out of four properties were holiday homes, she said.

Holiday-makers at the Nagambie Lakes Leisure Park increase the central Victoria town’s population by 185 per cent over summer.

The park has 3500 guests on site every night during the peak period, pumping up the economy of the town which has a regular population of just 1886.

Park manager Debbie Stevens said the site was always fully booked for the school holidays.

“It’s been great. We have been booked out since the 22nd but there’s a few little gaps opened up this week,’’ Ms Stevens said.

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Holidayers have fun at Nagambie Lakes Leisure Park. Picture: Jason Edwards

Melbourne crowds flock to Phillip Island during the summer holiday season. Picture: Sarah Matray

Families enjoy the weather at Torquay. Picture: Mark Stewart

Darrin Campbell with Kelsey, Briony and Nash. Picture: Mark Stewart

The park provided jobs for the town all year round, she said.

“We employ about 35 people at peak time and we even have security at night.’’

Phillip Island depends more on tourism than any other region, with visitor spending making up 10.4 per cent of the economy and one in six people employed directly in the industry.

Up on the Murray, the economic impact of river visitors is stronger than any other non-metropolitan region.

The river region contributed $476 million — or 4.2 per cent — to Victoria’s direct tourism economy during 2015-16 according to Visit Victoria research.

The Great Ocean Road and the Mornington Peninsula regions were next highest.

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@IanRoyall