Touriusm bosses hail Easter visitation boom, economic boost for businesses

Tourists have pumped millions of dollars into the region’s economy over the long weekend, with yet another big weekend on the horizon.

Tourists have pumped millions of dollars into the region’s economy over the long weekend, with yet another big weekend on the horizon.

Geelong tourism boss Brett Ince said businesses across the region were celebrating a big Easter weekend, with three shortened work weeks coinciding with school holidays to provide the perfect opportunity for hospitality, accommodation and tourism operators to reap the benefits of a sustained visitor influx.

“When you look at Easter accommodation bookings, and when you look at hospitality, the region has been extremely busy,” Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine executive director Brett Ince said on Monday.

Ocean Grove Driftwood Cafe owner Ty Simons. Picture: Mark Wilson

“We’ve injected millions of dollars into the region over the Easter period.”

Mr Ince said the timing of the Easter period during school holidays had been a much welcomed coincidence for businesses still recovering from the impact of Covid-19.

“Being the middle week of the school holidays, we’re seeing that extension of stay – so people staying longer,” Mr Ince said. “There’s a lot of people who have taken annual leave and continued that through to the next long weekend. We’ve seen that people are staying longer in the region.”

“While next week kids are heading back to school, we’re still seeing that really strong visitation throughout the school holiday period, which is really great to see, and it’s been really welcomed by local operators.”

Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine figures had found areas of the region had hit 80-90 per cent accommodation capacity over the Easter weekend, with bookings for the upcoming weekend also “really strong”.

Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism general manager Liz Price said coastal businesses had also enjoyed a strong Easter period, which was expected to continue into the ANZAC Day weekend.

“The holidays have fallen quite well with the extension through to Anzac Day, so businesses are looking pretty busy for the next week,” Ms Price said. “People are making the most of the public holidays to really get away.”

Coastal businesses were also particularly keen to make the most of the domestic tourism boom, after being hit hard by Covid-19 earlier this year.

“We did a survey with Geelong tourism recently, and this end of the region probably did it a little tougher with Omicron causing havoc through January,” Ms Price said.

“It affected not just cancellations – accommodations seemed to be quite busy – but then some of the businesses were struggling with staffing, so couldn’t operate at capacity.

“So this busy period is very welcomed and needed by many businesses that didn’t have the summer they were hoping for.”

In Ocean Grove, Driftwood Café owner Ty Simons said business had been steady over the course of the long weekend, providing a much-needed boost following “the worst January we’ve ever had”.

“The town is full now, and we hope they stay all week,” Mr Simons said.

Large crowds set to arrive across the region this long weekend

Geelong businesses are looking forward to celebrating Easter with visitors set to flock to the region, as confidence builds among the tourism sector hit hard by Covid.

Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine executive director Brett Ince said millions of dollars would be pumped into the region over the long weekend.

He said accommodation bookings were strong throughout the school holidays, and having Easter in the middle of the break was “really positive”.

He said confidence was continuing to build among travellers.

Sharp Group director Lyndsay Sharp said bookings were “really solid” over the Easter long weekend across the group’s venues, which include Jack Rabbit Vineyard in Bellarine, Flying Brick Cider House at Wallington, and Leura Park Estate in Curlewis.

“It’s great,” Ms Sharp said.

“The vibe is very positive.”

Ms Sharp said she believed this was the most confident businesses and consumers have felt since the start of the pandemic.

“The confidence is tangible now,” she said.

However, isolation requirements have presented challenges for businesses.

Jack Rabbit staff preparing for a busy Easter with executive chef Dwayne Bourke, at rear left: Briony Christie senior restaurant manager, Koji Lung Sous Chef, and Georgia Pickering restaurant manager. Picture: Mark Wilson.

Ms Sharp said this had meant playing “Tetris” among venues with staff.

“We’re looking forward to waving goodbye to this latest wave,” she said.

Authorities are set to increase their visibility in holiday hot spots over the Easter period.

With the expected increase in people staying at Barwon Coast caravan parks and other seaside accommodation during the Easter and ANZAC Day long weekends, Barwon Coast Committee of Management is working closely with Victoria Police, The City of Greater Geelong and local volunteers to help keep the community safe.

“We know that with the increase in holiday-makers we can also expect to see Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove foreshores full of young people intending to gather in large groups during the evenings,” Paul Gangell, manager of coastal operations at Barwon Coast, said.

“Unfortunately, recent evening gatherings have seen deliberate damage to local facilities and broken glass being left on our foreshores.

“The broken bottles left by evening revellers have resulted in beachgoers and several schoolchildren cutting their feet.

“To help ensure everyone stays safe Victoria Police will increase their visual footprint along the coast during the holiday period.”

Originally published as Touriusm bosses hail Easter visitation boom, economic boost for businesses