She said there operators were reporting strong bookings for the coming months, with the release of a second round of regional travel vouchers. But many have remained quiet during the week and are worried about the off-peak season over winter. "Operators are grateful to see demand driving support like the regional travel voucher scheme," she said. However, they remain concerned about their viability during the off-peak season.

"Reigniting events will be critical," Ms Price said.

She said operators were starting to worry about the second half of the year.

"There has been some good bookings for Easter and school holidays but many areas are tracking behind pre-COVID bookings," Ms Price said. "Mid week remains quieter in most areas with slower returns to corporate and business travel and international borders remaining closed.

"Besides the obvious leisure visitor, the closure of international borders has also resulted in a significant reduction in international students and no business travelers and domestic visitation is predominantly geared around travelling weekends and school holidays."

The state government revealed on Sunday there were 50,000 $200 travel vouchers up for grabs. The new allocation, to go online at 10am on March 30, will bring the total number of vouchers released to 200,000.

Acting Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Jaala Pulford said she was thrilled so many people were able to explore the state's regional cities, towns, hinterlands and coastal areas.

"The third round of the regional scheme will boost visits for the period straight after Easter, which already looks like a bumper time for people to discover new parts of Victoria," Ms Pulford said.

"The voucher winners will be happy, but the biggest winners will be the businesses that have shown such resilience over the last year and the workers who make our visitor economy great."

To qualify for the scheme, you must be a Victorian resident over the age of 18 and spend at least $400 on paid accommodation, experiences, tours or attractions in regional Victoria, the Yarra and Dandenong Ranges or the Mornington Peninsula.

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