Port Fairy is expected to be a hive of activity on the weekend despite its biggest event, the folk festival, being scaled back because of COVID-19 restrictions.
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Accommodation operators are reporting high numbers of inquiries from people wanting to visit despite the four-day festival being reduced to a series of concerts.
Port Fairy Accommodation manager Reinette Van Rooyen said the service had a waiting list.
"We are completely booked out for the long weekend," she said. "We had a lot of people calling us asking if there had been any cancellations so we started a waiting list."
Ms Van Rooyen said many people had decided to retain their annual booking.
"We've had a lot of people who have kept their bookings - at a discounted rate - who have also booked again for next year," she said.
"That was before we knew if the festival would go ahead, so that's a nice surprise for the visitors."
Clonmara Country House and Cottages owner Anna Wagg said she and her husband Steve had also received a lot of inquiries. "We've been booked out for a while," she said. Mrs Vagg said the couple had experienced a busy couple of months. "We've been full every night for the last couple of months, except for during the lockdown," she said. She said 80 per cent of their accommodation was booked for March and April.
Moyne Shire mayor Daniel Meade said it was great to see Port Fairy business operators had decided to offer entertainment over the long weekend.
Moyne Shire's economic development and customer experience manager Adam Boyle said there would be a lot of visitors to the region. "Council's caravan parks are heavily booked for the March long weekend, with the Yambuk, Killarney, Mortlake and Koroit parks all fully booked," Mr Boyle said.
"There are still limited sites available at Gardens and Southcombe caravan parks in Port Fairy, so we encourage people to consider a last minute long weekend break to enjoy the many activities being held in Port Fairy this weekend."
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