Holiday accommodation from country to coast sells out in regions as city suffers
From the country to coast, holiday spots across regional Victoria are rapidly booking out as Melburnians flee the city.
Victoria
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Holiday accommodation from the country to coast is booking out until the end of summer in an unprecedented travel wave to regional Victoria.
Accommodation providers said they were experiencing the highest demand ever, as COVID-weary Victorians sought to celebrate their new-found freedom.
And peak season rates were proving no barrier, with many Victorians seemingly happy to pay any price to snare a relaxing holiday spot after months of lockdown hell and also splashing cash on expensive extras.
Airbnb’s Australian manager Susan Wheeldon said Victorians were chasing “authentic summer experiences that allow them to switch off and reconnect with family and friends, while taking in the great outdoors”.
Unique properties, such as tree houses, cabins, miniature homes and farm stays, were among the most sought after, as well as those with sweeping views or quirky features like outdoor baths, Ms Wheeldon said.
Booking.com’s Australia manager Luke Wilson said Lorne was the most searched destination in Victoria this month, followed by Lakes Entrance, Apollo Bay, Torquay and Bright.
Phillip Island, Warrnambool, Daylesford, Halls Gap and Echuca made up the top 10.
Michael McLeod of First National Phillip Island said holiday accommodation offered through his real estate agency in the tourist hotspot was fully booked until mid-January and solidly after that.
But the exodus to the regions comes at the cost of Melbourne hotels, motels and holiday apartments, which are sitting largely empty.
Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) chief Felicia Mariani said while regional accommodation was more than 90 per cent booked, Melbourne venues were almost three-quarters empty, with occupancy rates of just 27 per cent.
Normally at this time of year, the city’s four and five star city hotels would be up to 85 per cent full, she said.
Typically reliant on international and interstate visitors, as well as on business trade and major events, Melbourne hotels were the victims of border closures, function shutdowns and work-from-home provisions, Ms Mariani said.
The time was ripe for regional Victorians to “return the love” and enjoy a big city holiday, she said.
“Melbourne as a capital city will have a very difficult recovery, opposed to its country cousins, and it would be great to see regional Victorians coming into the city … there’s an enormous amount of work going on to bring it back to life,” Ms Mariani said.
Chief executive of Australia’s Tourism and Transport Forum, Margy Osmond, echoed the call.
She said corporate accommodation bookings were expected to pick up in Melbourne from March next year but in the meantime regional Victorians could show support by booking “a glamorous weekend in town”.
After being locked down for so long, Victorians could be the least likely to react in fear to the South Australian COVID outbreak and would probably proceed with their holiday plans as long as they were allowed, Ms Osmond said.
But the State’s accommodation providers should resist any urge to take advantage of the regional rush and price gouge, as they risked damaging their reputation, Ms Osmond said.
“Operators need to price appropriately and remember they are in this for the long haul, not just the next couple of months … and travellers themselves have a responsibility to make sure they look hard at the terms of their bookings,” she said.
Ms Mariani said most operators were conscious of doing the right thing.
“No one wants to be perceived as price gouging … but we are coming into traditional peak season and prices always go up around Christmas,” she said.
Those frustrated by the lack of regional accommodation available could have more success searching for midweek vacancies rather than trying to book weekends, Ms Mariani said.
RACV general manager of leisure Craig Peachey, who oversees a number of regional Victorian resorts, said booking well in advance was also advised.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it had no power to deal with accommodation pricing, which was driven by supply and demand.
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