The announcement of the Victoria-NSW border closure to curtail the spread of COVID-19 sent tourists in NSW packing, leaving businesses empty handed.
“Tourism operators in Murray River Council went from a fully booked holiday period to practically empty over a 24-hour period,” Cr Bilkey said.
“This has left the local industry decimated after what had been a particularly hard year anyway because of the earlier Victorian and NSW travel restrictions.”
Cr Bilkey said despite another blow to their business, local operators were trying to stay positive and were looking to attract a new market of visitors to the region.
“The time is now to holiday close to home,” he said.
“If you live in Bendigo or Shepparton or close to those areas, the river is still calling you for fun family adventures in our border bubble.
“It’s never been more important to support the river communities, so I would encourage our regular visitors to come see us again and for new tourists to add our incredible towns to their to-visit list.”
While a new campaign from local industry groups will aim at driving Victorian visitors to the Murray River region, council is also continuing advocacy efforts to state government.
“The border closures have once again adversely impacted our local businesses, so we are contacting ministers on both sides of the border to highlight the need for urgent relief,” Cr Bilkey said.
“And while we push for government support, we also encourage our locals to let everyone know that our doors are still open to anyone in the border bubble region.”
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