News
Victoria tourism picks up after bushfires
08 March 2007
The Gippsland region in Victoria, Australia is finally beginning to see the reintroduction of tourists following a devastating sequence of bushfires.
Over one million hectares of bush were destroyed during the blazes which wreaked havoc in the area between December and January.
A number of towns were severely affected by the fires and tourism revenue in the region plummeted as a result.
However, a great deal of work has been done to begin restoring the affected areas and officials say that visitor numbers are beginning to pick up again.
'It's been an emotional rollercoaster for the industry and indeed communities in the region for the last three months,' Chris Buckingham, general manager at Gippsland Tourism, told the Australian Associated Press.
'But the feedback I'm getting from places in West Gippsland in particular is that people are coming back, and it's not a trickle, it is a steady flow.
'What we're seeing now is what summer should have been,' he added.
A number of hotels in the region have reported that they are fully booked for the next six weeks and most accommodation providers are back in business.
The only town that remains isolated is Licola, which was hit by a flood following the fires.
© Adfero Ltd
Over one million hectares of bush were destroyed during the blazes which wreaked havoc in the area between December and January.
A number of towns were severely affected by the fires and tourism revenue in the region plummeted as a result.
However, a great deal of work has been done to begin restoring the affected areas and officials say that visitor numbers are beginning to pick up again.
'It's been an emotional rollercoaster for the industry and indeed communities in the region for the last three months,' Chris Buckingham, general manager at Gippsland Tourism, told the Australian Associated Press.
'But the feedback I'm getting from places in West Gippsland in particular is that people are coming back, and it's not a trickle, it is a steady flow.
'What we're seeing now is what summer should have been,' he added.
A number of hotels in the region have reported that they are fully booked for the next six weeks and most accommodation providers are back in business.
The only town that remains isolated is Licola, which was hit by a flood following the fires.
© Adfero Ltd
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