South-west tourism operators are facing a long road to recovery, according to Great Ocean Regional Tourism general manager Liz Price.
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Ms Price said it would be a long time before the storm clouds cleared and this was due to a number of factors.
She said there were some obvious factors, including no international visitors and less interstate travellers.
But there were also other factors that would have a negative affect on the bottom line of a number of businesses.
"I actually think we're looking at a minimum two years, possibly three years recovery," Ms Price said.
Events are one of Victoria's biggest drawcards, particularly for domestic visitors, but many have been cancelled.
"There's not a lot of certainty around events and when they can be held and they're a big drawcard for the region," Ms Price said.
Events in Melbourne also bring millions to the city each year, many who take the opportunity to explore other parts of the state.
"Melbourne is often the gateway for us for interstate and international visitors," Ms Price said.
She said accommodation providers were reporting an increase in visitors to the south-west, but most remained quieter than usual.
Ms Price said people who were exploring their own state often chose to wait until a weekend or public holiday, which meant many operators were quieter than usual during the week.
In addition to that, all states would be competing for tourism dollars, but businesses faced higher operating costs due to coronavirus restrictions.
"What I'm hearing from operators is they don't want to offer big discounts when the cost of doing business has increased," she said.
She urged Victorians to explore their own backyard to help the tourism industry recover.
"We're encouraging people to get out and explore and invite relatives and friends to come and stay," she said.
Ms Price said the south-west had so much to offer.
"We really do have something for everyone," she said.
The challenges continue for the region's travel agents.
National Warrnambool Travel manager Virginia Paton said people were not yet confident enough to book an interstate or international trip.
"I've got a few bookings (for overseas trips) for 2022, but that's about it," she said.
Some accommodation providers have seen an uptake in business, with a Port Fairy holiday park seeing bookings steadily flow in.
Pelican Waters owner Julie Wolff said she had only a handful of vacancies available until the end of January.
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