SUNRAYSIA’S traditionally busy summer holiday period has endured a roller-coaster ride with “different complexities”, according to Mildura Regional Development.
Blue-green algae, bushfires, dust and drought has seen tourism numbers ebb and flow through the region over the past three months and Mildura Regional Development chief executive Brett Millington is now awaiting the impacts that the coronavirus might have on the region.
Victoria’s tourism authority has ramped up efforts to attract visitors from several continents following a ban on Chinese travellers.
China is Victoria’s largest source of overseas tourists and accounts for 10 per cent of Sunraysia’s annual international travelling intake.
Mr Millington said that while while the industry blow of the coronavirus locally would not be felt as much as it would statewide, there would still be an impact.
He said Chinese visitor numbers to the region was “not at all insignificant”, but it was difficult to estimate how much of an impact the travelling ban would have.
“There’s probably two elements – one being international students whether it be at the flight school or those who study at SuniTAFE and the like, and then the other component is actual tourists and people who would otherwise be visiting those people who are studying here,” Mr Millington said.
“Having spoken to La Trobe and some of the other universities, they are already having significant impacts in terms of students being able to return to university classes.
“So there is then the impact that has on people from China visiting friends and relatives, as well as the general tourists who might want to visit the Pink Lakes or one of those drawcards before continuing on to Mildura from there.
“And their expenditure would probably be higher than a lot of the backpacking tourists who might otherwise arrive here as well.”
Mr Millington said Mildura Regional Development had been working with Murray Regional Tourism to look at the tourism impacts from “a lot of variables” over the summer period.
“Because of the extreme heat the year before there was probably some people who said ‘I can’t deal with that heat again’,” he said.
“Early in the season with the blue-green algae there were some significantly down numbers because of people who would otherwise boat and decided not to come earlier.
“And then there has been a number of people say they have probably had more bookings because a lot of people planning to go in East Gippsland, which usually doubles in population, have been looking for other holiday alternatives.
“It’s going to be really hard to say how numbers will be impacted due to the coronavirus because there has been so much else happening as a collective.”
Foreign visitors who have left or passed through China are being denied entry to Australia to limit the spread of the deadly coronavirus, however Visit Victoria is working with the State Government to prepare “a very significant campaign” into other parts of southeast Asia, New Zealand, Europe and the Americas.
A delegation from New Zealand will visit Sunraysia next week after attending an agricultural conference in Melbourne.
There have been 15 confirmed cases in Australia including five people who have since recovered.
More than 40,00 cases have been confirmed worldwide with more than 900 dead.
