He said it had been a strong summer, and attributed good weather to the success.

“We certainly can’t complain,” he said. “We are very happy. The weather was so consistent it ended up being a really good month.

“The forward bookings were down, we were working ahead only 24 to 48 hours. In previous years we were working 10 days ahead. I can’t answer why that was.

“To the year prior we were up 5.3 per cent in volume and in value we were up 4.3 per cent per room night.” 

Warrnambool City Council visitor economy manager David McMahon said welcoming customer service, city services and retailers attracted many people back to the city year-after-year.

“Without a doubt the mix of new marketing tactics and new events have played a significant part to attracting new visitors, as well as ensuring we provide something fresh for our many returning guests,” he said.

“Our stakeholders and partners need to stay ahead of the pack and be out searching for new and attractive products and events to service our growing and diverse market.

“It is the local Warrnambool tourism operators who drive the visitor economy and provide the first class service to our visitors.

“These are the catalysts behind the success of our industry and we as a community should be very proud of them.” 

Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism general manager Liz Price said the official summer season data was not due for release until April however anecdotal evidence suggested the region enjoyed a strong summer buoyed by the good weather.

“Warrnambool City Council’s investment in Jurassic Creatures and event activation provides even more reasons to visit and supports the region’s strategy of increasing length of stay, dispersal and visitor satisfaction,” she said.