FARMSTAYS have been popping up around Sunraysia as farmers try to diversify their incomes, but tourists are still uncertain about travelling across borders.
Donna Scopelliti opened an Airbnb farmstay property two years ago on 50 acres of orange orchard she owns in Buronga, but said her location, which had been a big drawcard for the accommodation, had become a problem when border closures hit the business.
She said many of her visitors travelled from Melbourne for the combination of “serenity” on the quieter NSW side of the river and close proximity to Mildura’s CBD.
But over the past year coronavirus-related border closures had cost her thousands of dollars in income.
Over the Christmas holiday period Ms Scopelliti lost $10,000 worth of bookings when the Victorian border closed to people in NSW and she said bookings had not picked up since.
“People are too scared they’ll get here and not be able to get back,” Ms Scopelliti said.
In an effort to capitalise on a predicted boom in domestic tourism, Airbnb is running webinars to help farmers set up farmstay experiences on working farms.
“Farmstays are a terrific way to both help farmers diversify their income, as well as put their communities on the tourism map,” said Derek Nolan, Airbnb’s Australian head of public policy.
Ms Scopelliti said in good times her accommodation was full throughout school holidays and local events and she had been able to direct some of her income to other regional businesses, offering vouchers to attractions like the Mildura Holden Motor Museum and Orange World to her visitors.
But she said combining the farming and accommodation businesses could bring some challenges.
To date she has been unable to offer visitors the opportunity to pick their own oranges on her property because the cost of insurance for a working farm is too high, she said. And safety must also be carefully managed during spraying time to ensure no one picks recently sprayed fruit.
Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano backed Airbnb’s regional tourism push.
“Farmstays showcase the beautiful Victorian countryside and our vibrant food and fibre industry to visitors,” Ms Germano said.
