MOUNT Gambier’s holiday parks and iconic tourism precincts were deserted over the Easter long weekend amid border restrictions and coronavirus protocols gripping the city.
Traditionally the busiest tourism period on the city’s calendar, the Easter long weekend was like no other.
Caravan parks were eerily empty and popular tourism hot spots were abandoned as grey nomads and holiday-bound families heeded COVID-19 government warnings and stayed home.
The only people seen around the city were those venturing outside for exercise or undertaking essential shopping.
Blue Lake Holiday Park manager Julie Cowley said the situation was surreal and a devastating blow for the city’s tourism operators.
She said the park only had one booking over Easter, which was an essential worker.
Normally, the popular accommodation park would be jam-packed with 700 people over the Easter long weekend.
Standing at the tourism park yesterday, Ms Cowley described the situation as bizarre and unfathomable.
“It is definitely devastating and hard to comprehend. The Easter weekend is usually so hectic and busy,” she said.
Ms Cowley revealed tourism-related visitors to the park stopped suddenly when the border restrictions were swept in.
“As soon as they closed the borders to non-essential travellers, there have been no tourism-related visitors,” she said.
The park’s manager said people cancelled their bookings swiftly after the border restrictions were enforced.
“We cannot take holidaymakers and we have not had any come through the Easter break,” Ms Cowley added.
But the park has a small number of bookings this week for essential travellers, such as those working in Mount Gambier.
According to the tourist operator, it had been a roller-coaster since the first public event cancellations and social restrictions were announced.
“The cancellation of Generations in Jazz was the inkling about what was to come,” Ms Cowley said.
She said the majority of people who cancelled for the music event re-booked for next year, which was a positive sign.
Fortunately, a large number of people who cancelled their Easter bookings have also decided to take the option of re-booking within 12 months.
“Over 90pc have chosen to take a credit and come back,” Ms Cowley said.
Moving forward, she said it was difficult to foreshadow when tourism could spring back to life.
“You would have to think tourism is going to be the last to pick up,” Ms Cowley said.
In a positive development, the accommodation park is able to keep its 15-member staff on its books through the Federal Government’s Jobkeeper program.
Meanwhile, Tourism Mount Gambier chair Ben Deering said it was heartbreaking to see empty tourism-related businesses across the city during Easter.
“We are talking about people’s livelihoods. For many in the tourism industry, the businesses are often owner-operated,” Mr Deering said.
“Hopefully, these businesses will be there on the other side.”
He said Easter was the busiest patch for tourism operators and was the “icing on the top of the cake” after the summer period and leading into the colder months.
While it was terrible to see Mount Gambier’s iconic tourism precincts empty, he said it was encouraging to see people heed the directions of governments to protect people’s health.
Mr Deering – who is the Centenary Tower caretaker – said the number of tourists in Mount Gambier appeared non-existent over Easter.
But he revealed he had never seen the Crater Lakes area busier with locals who were out walking and exercising.
“We are so fortunate to have a beautiful open space.”
Mr Deering said the tourism group – in cooperation with Mount Gambier City Council, SA Tourism Commission and the Limestone Coast Local Government Association – had started preparing a recovering marketing plan for the city’s visitor economy.
He said Mount Gambier was well poised to capitalise on its clean and green image, open spaces and great produce when COVID-19 restrictions were eased.
While international tourism would be affected longer, he said two-thirds of visitors to Mount Gambier hailed from South Australia and Victoria.
