Bushfires in Victoria’s alpine region in the past four years have had a dramatic impact on summer visitor numbers.
Fires take toll on alpine summer tourism
13 May 2008
published by www.abc.net.au
Australia — Bushfires in Victoria’s alpine region in the past four years have had a dramatic impact on summer visitor numbers.
A national survey has found there were 15 per cent less tourists in the alpine regions in 2003 and 2007 because of the fires.
Another study by the Alpine Shire Council was more positive, showing most visitors would come again, or had been there before.
The council’s chief executive officer, Ian Nicholls, says the fires were tough on businesses, but overall the region’s tourism industry is faring well.
“That was quite dramatic in our visitation over the last four years, those summer periods certainly were well down in comparison to other summer periods,” he said.
“We also were pleased to see that most visitors were in fact repeat visitors, with over 98 per cent saying that they would visit the shire again.”
