A WARRNAMBOOL motel owner says the loss of Fun4Kids will hit his business hard.
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Blue Whale Motor Inn and Apartment owner Graeme Soulsby said it was very disappointing that the festival would no longer continue.
“It will cost us quite drastically,” Mr Soulsby said.
He said during the Fun4Kids festival he would be fully booked while the rest of the winter months his business usually had a 30 per cent occupancy rate.
“We used to fill up for most of the time the festival was on,” he said.
He said most of the holidaymakers were from Melbourne, or other places across Victoria, and had come to town specifically for the festival.
“It leaves a bit of a hole for us in the middle of winter,” he said.
Big 4 Hopkins River Holiday Park manager Catherine Hein said it would be great if there was some alternative to the Fun4kids festival.
“I think that Fun4kids is great for the region but I understand the financial burden it’s had on the community,” she said.
“I know that it is very expensive to put on.”
Warrnambool’s oldest cafe, Macks Snacks, has been a family favourite for parents and kids during the festival.
Owner Diane Coates said she was disappointed the festival was finished.
“We do get quite a few kids and parents come up for lunch during the festival,” she said. “It does bring people to Warrnambool in winter.”
Wines Patisserie, on Timor Street, said the festival didn’t really have an impact on its trade.
Helen Wines said parents may get a cup of coffee after the day was finished, but that was about it. “They sell food in the festival arena so they don’t come to us,” she said.