TOURISTS are expected to flock to Mount Gambier and the wider Limestone Coast region this Easter long-weekend for a range of annual sporting and community events.
While the city will host the Mount Gambier Easter Showjumping Festival and the Easter Sprintcar Trail, the Penola Cup on Sunday and Robe Easter Classic surfing competition on Saturday will draw crowds to Penola and Long Beach respectively.
Typically the busiest weekend of the year for the city’s tourism operators, The Barn manager and Tourism Mount Gambier chair Kent Comley said this year would be no different.
“Typically Saturday night at Easter is our busiest night of the year in the steakhouse and this year looks to be no different,” he said.
“Our accommodation has been booked out for some time – it’s a busy weekend and I think every bed in town is booked.
“As always it will certainly bring a cash injection into our economy.”
Mount Gambier City Council tourism and economic development manager Donna Foster said she hoped the city would be as bustling over the Easter break as it was last weekend for the vibrant Fringe in Mount Gambier festival.
“It was such a brilliant atmosphere in the city centre last weekend and it was good for everyone – not only our visitors,” Ms Foster said.
“I was chatting to a couple from New South Wales at the Fringe street party last Friday night and they said they were just delighted with Mount Gambier.
“They were actually just here for a holiday, not for the festival or the street rod meeting, but they hit the jackpot with their dates.
“They said they were most impressed with how friendly and welcoming the Mount Gambier locals were.”
Ms Foster said 2000 tourists stayed overnight or for a few nights in the city last Easter.
“We had an average of 500 people visiting a day,” she said.
“The summer season has not eased off into March with the fabulous successes of last weekend and more events this weekend and in the near future.”
Visiting from Melbourne with her young family, Emilie Aldous said the region had exceeded their expectations.
“We are staying for three nights in Mount Gambier before we head off to Robe,” Ms Aldous said.
“This is our first visit to the Limestone Coast and we have just loved it so far.”
