THIS summer’s traditional surge in south-west coastal populations with summer tourists will be boosted by an unexpected rise in international visitors lured by the falling Aussie dollar.
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Usually at least 30,000 people collectively pour in to towns between Port Campbell and Portland from Boxing Day for two to three weeks, boosting the regional economy by millions of dollars.
On top of that will be travellers from overseas heading Down Under.
“There’s been a significant increase in numbers of international tourists in the past month or so,” said Port Fairy visitor information centre manager Andrea Lowenthal.
“It’s fabulous — the dollar’s down and now they’re coming here in increasing numbers.
“Hopefully it will continue and we’ll see more people from overseas and more Australians travelling locally.”
Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism general manager Liz Price said she had also heard anecdotal reports of more international visitors during the past few months.
After a tough few years for the tourism industry when the high dollar exchange rate prompted Aussies to fly overseas and internationals to seek cheaper destinations, there has been an encouraging improvement.
Recent Tourism Victoria statistics show significant rises in domestic and international visitor numbers for the year ending September.
Internationals staying overnight in the Great Ocean Road region spent an estimated $117 million — up 46 per cent compared with the same period last year. Their numbers rose by an estimated 10 per cent to 183,600 and up by 6 per cent in the Grampians to 36,800.
Chinese accounted for 26 per cent of international visitor expenditure to all of Victoria, spending almost $1.3 billion.
Domestic tourism spending also surged to $1.73 billion, up 23.7 per cent, along the Great Ocean Road and $372m, up 26 per cent to $372m for the Grampians.
An estimated 2.94 million Aussies, up 20.8 per cent, stopped overnight along the Great Ocean Road while 801,000, up 9 per cent, stayed overnight in the Grampians.
More daytrippers came down the ocean road with estimated numbers rising 10.5 per cent to 5.3 million while day trippers to the Grampians surged 28.9 per cent to 982,000.
South-west Victorian accommodation operators are gearing up for another domestic influx from Boxing Day.
Warrnambool’s tourism services manager Peter Abbott said the city’s population usually swelled by about 15,000 for the three weeks to mid-January and Ms Lowenthal said Port Fairy’s numbers rose by about 10,000. Tourists also swell populations at Portland, Peterborough, Yambuk, Port Campbell and other centres.
Mr Abbott said the summer influx was vital for the tourism industry to survive low spots in the year. “Bookings are solid and we are all hoping for a better summer than last year,” Mr Abbott said.
Warrnambool’s numbers include a segment holidaying close to home with 20 per cent of campers at Shipwreck Bay Holiday Park and 14 per cent at Surfside Holiday Park coming from the local district.