Seaside town back in swing for holidays
THE tide has turned for the coastal community of Orford, which suffered a dramatic drop in visitors during the last school holidays due to road closures.
Some accommodation providers reported an 80 per cent loss of trade due to the six-week Tasman Highway closure from May to July.
But accommodation services are now being booked quickly. And with school holidays starting this weekend, the township is feeling positive.
Orford Blue Waters Hotel has had a “massive past week” and is close to booked out for the school holidays after a rocky period several months ago.
“When the highway closed we really struggled, our business dropped 75-80 per cent over the weekend and 50 per cent during the week, but now we’ve only got a few rooms left and no doubt they will fill up too,” spokesman Peter Willis said.
Eastcoaster Tasmania is also flat out preparing for the weekend, with 75 per cent of rooms already booked for the holidays.
The $7.5m second round of the state goverment’s travel voucher scheme has been extended to October 31 and has helped 25,000 Tasmanians receive a $300 voucher, with $200 available for multiple purchases of accommodation and $100 for touring and attraction experiences.
Owner of Orford’s Sanda House Colonial B&B Fiona Merhulik said the boutique accommodation had about 16 groups of people through redeeming the voucher in August and September.
“The day the vouchers were released we had three bookings in a day, which is really unusual even in the peak season, so the vouchers have been very successful for us,” she said.