The quarterly report which was released for the year ending March 2023 reveals the Sun Country region received 22.2% of domestic overnight visitors out of the entirety of the Murray region, comparable with some of the Murray River regions larger towns including Albury Wodonga and Echuca Moama.
An impressive 612,000 people visited overnight with 62.1% of those enjoying eating out/ dining at a restaurant or café as their most popular activity undertaken and a whopping $321 million spent in the region, up by 29.9% from March 2022.
Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism and Business Executive Officer Noel Wright said it is fantastic to see the post covid visitor numbers bounce back especially when considering the impacts of flooding in the region late last year.
“The floods seriously impacted accessibility to the region and a number of businesses are still feeling those effects,” Mr Wright said.
“Despite all this we have still had 16.3% growth in domestic overnight travellers and a 15.8% increase in the nights stayed which has resulted in an increase in the cash contribution to business of 29.9%.
“Domestic day tripper travel has decreased by 12.8% which is a little disappointing, but the number suggests that many day trippers may have converted to overnight stays, which is supported by the fact that the cash contribution from domestic day trippers increased by 17.2% even though the number of day trippers was down.”
Over the past five years including the covid years, daytrip visitors figures have fluctuated, however $53 million was still spent in the region by day-trippers with an average of $136 spent per visitor.
The Murray Regional Tourism Travel to the Murray report showed positive signs for the whole Murray River region with Sun Country and its larger counterparts all experiencing increases in their visitor numbers to previous years whilst Yarrawonga Mulwala in particular is moving forward in leaps and bounds, recording the highest numbers throughout the Sun Country.
“We do compare favourably along the Murray as visitor location and Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism and Business (YMTB) events work continues to target visitation outside of the peak period to maximise both the economic and social contribution in our community,” Mr Wright said.
“We continue to work to introduce new tourism product and encourage private investment to create a new product. YMTB see the events and tourism product as key economic and social drivers to ensure better outcomes for Yarrawonga Mulwala.
“We continue to work closely with both Moira Shire and Federation Council to provide a financially acceptable solution to deliver visitor services in new and exciting ways while maintaining the event support we currently provide for the Lake Mulwala Rod Run, EC Griffith Cup and Yarrawonga Fair incorporating Matt Hall Racing, Country Week Tennis and the Country festival of Tennis.
“We expect to have this funding sorted shortly.”
Murray Regional Tourism Chair Wendy Greiner said that the latest Tourism Research Australia report continues to show visitors have a strong desire to visit the Murray region.
“Just over six million domestic visitors explored the Murray region during the year ended December 2022,” Ms Greiner said.
“They stayed 8.5 million nights and contributed a massive $2.2 billion to the region’s economy.
“These results again highlight the importance of the visitor economy as a key pillar in supporting regional jobs and economic prosperity.”
Moira Shire Manager Marketing Communication and Advocacy Scott Williams said the numbers are really positive and the Moira Shire need to commend the efforts of local businesses and tourism associations in driving these numbers, specifically, Yarrawonga Mulwala Business and Tourism, Cobram Barooga Business and Tourism, Numurkah Love our Lifestyle, and Nathalia Barmah Business and Tourism.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have a vibrant community with exceptional local businesses and passionate community groups that continuously attract people to our region,” Mr Williams said.
“Despite the challenges we have faced, including the impact of COVID-19 and the 2022 floods, the response from the industry has been fantastic.
“As a council we have made substantial investments and improvements in our tourism marketing and development to support our local businesses and help our region recover. We will continue to increase the promotion of our amazing part of the world and showcase its beauty via targeted content and always active marketing campaigns.
“The success of the tourism industry in the region is a testament to the resilience and dedication of our local businesses and our welcoming and passionate community.”
