VISITATION and tourism numbers have remained strong over the holiday period into 2022, with families staying for longer periods compared to previous years in Wangaratta and district.
Accommodation providers have been near full, with caravan parks and camping spots, particularly in the King Valley, bustling over recent weeks.
While Wangaratta's Visitor Information Centre wasn't as busy as last year over the festive period, its number of visitors were still significant with 465 people using the service during this short period.
Rural City of Wangaratta director development services, Stephen Swart, said there was significant growth in visitors to our region throughout 2021.
"Wangaratta saw more than a 6000 rise in visitor numbers in 2021, compared to the previous year," he said.
"The Wangaratta Visitor Information Centre saw 17,788 visitors through the doors while in 2020 the VIC had a total of 11,719 visitors.
"We are also seeing people staying longer in the region, with visitors now staying five to seven days, compared to the pre–COVID trend towards shorter stays.
"In 2021 the region experienced high visitation after each lockdown, with outdoor activities such as camping and hiking proving to be popular.
"We expect to see these nature–loving visitors continue to return to our region with the easing of travel restrictions.
"Council expects this growth in regional tourism to continue in 2022 due to continued uncertainty with overseas travel and people wanting to explore their own state."
