Warrnambool and Port Campbell business owners report less visitors over the King's Birthday long weekend

Reception manager Courtney Gleeson, at Best Western Olde Maritime in Warrnambool, said there had been less families visiting the city - with people also opting for shorter stays.

"We're not as busy as previous years," she said.

"We've got less families coming and more couples staying."

Ms Gleeson said cost of living pressures, including interest rate rises, were having an impact.

"Normally on a long weekend you'd get people booking Friday, Saturday, Sunday till Monday," she said.

"But people are just having shorter stays."

Ms Gleeson said bookings for the June school holidays were quiet so far.

She said visitor numbers in the winter holidays were often dependent on the migrating southern right whales arriving.

"If Melbourne sees we've got whales it might encourage them to come," she said.

A spokesman at Warrnambool Holiday Village said they had been booked out over the long weekend.

"It's about normal for this time of year," he said.

"We've got a few bookings already for the school holidays.

"We're going along nicely."

Portside Motel owner Sue Gelai said they would traditionally be full for the long weekend, but numbers had dropped off from previous years.

"We had people arrive late last night but I think it was because they couldn't get accommodation in Apollo Bay and Lorne," she said.

"I don't think they were prepared to pay their prices.

"So we were full last night.

"Traditionally on a public holiday we would be booked out. I think a lot of people have changed their behaviour from pre-COVID.

"And obviously things are a lot more expensive at the moment for everybody.

"I think our numbers aren't fairing as well as Lorne and Apollo Bay."

Charlotte Boyd-Walsh, from Rebecca's Cafe in Port Fairy, said the town had been very busy over the long weekend.

"We've been absolutely flat out making coffee every day," she said.

Ms Boyd-Walsh said the town had been busy from Friday through until Monday.

On Saturday Moyne Shire mayor Karen Foster said Port Fairy had welcomed good visitor numbers to the town for the weekend.

"We've had a lot of visitors to the town," she said.

"Port Fairy is humming."

Cr Foster said good weather along with the work of the Port Fairy Winter Weekends volunteers had helped encourage visitors to the town.

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