One month since taking out the Wotif Aussie Town of the Year Award, Port Fairy is enjoying a major increase in internet searches.
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Wotif, an online travel website, has recorded searches for Port Fairy have spiked by more than 165 per cent, when compared to the same period last year.
Moyne Shire mayor Mick Wolfe said he was thrilled with the Wotif data.
“We knew that this award was going to bolster an already healthy tourism industry in the town of Port Fairy," he said.
"To see the Wotif data since the announcement is such a brilliant thing, for the town itself, and the Moyne Shire region as a whole.
"Once someone stays in Port Fairy, they will also learn about the areas surrounding the town that have a lot to offer those visiting.”
Moyne Shire's team leader of visitor services Ashley Price said there was also a spike in new users on Port Fairy's destination website.
Mr Price said there had been an 83 per cent increase in new users to www.iamportfairy.com.au since the Wotif Aussie Town of the Year award announcement.
He said 75 per cent of visitors to that destination website were aged 18 to 44.
Mr Price said Port Fairy was traditionally a hub for grey nomads but that trend was changing.
"We've started to see a lot more of the younger demographic visit us," he said.
He said the town's boutique stores, beach experiences, and nature-based activities were attractive to young holiday makers.
Mr Price also said 68 per cent of visitors to Port Fairy's destination website were from Melbourne.
He said he hoped the Wotif Aussie Town of the Year award would keep the visitor centre busy during typically quieter times of the year.
Christine Roeger from Port Fairy Seacombe House said it was hard to tell if the increased internet searches for the town were benefiting accommodation providers.
"Sometimes marketing can take a little while to get out there as well because it was only very recent that it happened," she said.
"Sometimes things don't really start to roll until later down the line because people have already booked their holidays for the next year."
Mrs Roeger said she hoped holiday makers would keep the Wotif award in mind when booking their next holiday.
Related: Port Fairy community celebrates
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