Tourism industry champing at the bit

It means a month of business for local operators before Christmas, as well as the ability to take bookings during summer.

Echuca Moama Tourism chief executive Kathryn Mackenzie said it was a major victory for the tourism industry.

“It's just fantastic,” she said.

“It's been an incredibly tough period for our tourism operators, especially those on the Moama side of the river.”

Ms Mackenzie said the opportunity to begin planning for the Christmas period had now begun.

“Our operators are able to start taking bookings, they're able to get their premises ready and make sure they are in the best possible position for when Christmas arrives.

“This is typically our best time, between now and the end of summer is when most people visit our towns, so to have the certainty now to prepare for it and know the bookings will be able to be met is fantastic.”

The certainty around the border also allows planning for the early months of 2021, which would typically see a huge turnout around major drawcards such as the Southern 80 and Riverboats music festival.

“There's been indications from a lot of guests who booked to be in town during Riverboats or the Southern 80 that they will still make their way up,” Ms Mackenzie said.

“We will begin as an organisation planning for new ways to bring the market in at those times, ways to continue to bring people to see our community.”

But even within hours of the announcement of the news, Ms Mackenzie had cause to smile.

“I rang a number of our operators after the announcement and couldn't get through,” she said.

“We can only hope that continues and the bookings and requests continue to flood in.”