Temperatures this winter have been unusually low, and so too have visitor numbers, according to Merimbula tourism operators.
The Visitors Information Centre confirmed tourist numbers are down this winter compared to last year, with tourism officer, Chantelle Smith, saying only July was up on last year, by around 1000 visitors.
While the bumper snow season to our west no doubt attracted some people away from the coast, it would seem the cost of living is still the main thing on our minds.
“A lot of people said they were coming here in July to save on the extra costs associated with coming in December,” Ms Smith said.
“There also hasn’t been so many families this winter, mainly couples.
“It has been quiet but overall I think people were pretty pleased with July with some accommodation places booked out.”
Ms Smith also said there had been a few golf and bowls tournaments over the winter to keep people coming to town.
Ms Smith said she could not pinpoint a particular reason for the fall in visitor numbers but said factors such as petrol prices and interest rates would definitely have an impact.
While the July statistics looked good on paper, a few accommodation places the Newsweekly spoke to said they had recorded their worst figures for that month.
Frank and Nola Engelsman at the Merimbula Motor Lodge said July was their worst month by far.
“We were at nine percent occupancy for the month which is our worst result in the six years we have been here,” said Mr Engelsman.
“It has never been that bad before and I think the town was deserted from what I could tell,” she said.
Tony Ingram, of Ocean View Motor Inn, said this July has been shocking for their business.
“July this year was dramatically down. We were at 12 percent occupancy, which means we are not even making rent this month,” Mr Ingram said.
“It has been the worst month we have seen in the four years we have been here.
“I find it hard to believe that the Visitors Information Centre can say that July was the best month because as a motel in Merimbula we really struggled,” he said.
“I think it also has a lot to do with the amount of accommodation we have here in Merimbula and the fact that we need to get more quality entertainment in town to draw people here.”
Mr Ingram said he believes that Merimbula is no different to any other town South of Sydney and it needs a point of difference such as the entertainment the town used to attract back in the mid 80s to get more visitors in town.
“Quality entertainment has really dropped off in recent years and when people come here there is just nothing for them to do,” he said.
“I think we are wearing the brunt of the financial hardship people are suffering from petrol prices and mortgage repayments.
“I mean this was the worst season for us and the weather has probably been the best ever it has been sunny nearly every day,” he said.
Mr Ingram said his complex is a good gauge of how many people are coming into town.
“At the moment we are just surviving, not making any money.
“The further out of town you get the worse it gets, Merimbula sort of fills up from the middle and works its way out.
“Ours is a tourism based motel and a lot of our customer base comes in off the road.
“When we started we were getting about two or three off the road customers every day now we are lucky to get one every three days or so. There just isn’t the same traffic coming into town,” he said.
Others, however, fared better.
David Torpey at Aquarius Holiday Apartments said they have done very well this winter.
“We are fully booked out for August and September it has been really busy with a lot of forward bookings, which is very positive,” he said.
“There have been a number of promotions on, we saw the quiet time coming and acted early.”
Mr Torpey said there has been a lot of repeat business as well, which is something they rely heavily on but all in all it has been a good winter so far.
Faye Wheeler, of Sails Luxury Apartments, said this July had been their best since they have been here.
“It has been surprisingly quite good and August is shaping up that way as well we have been booked out for a few days.
“We had one elderly couple who were booked in for two weeks and on their way up to Queensland.
“They cancelled the trip and ended up staying here for six and a half weeks they said why drive?”
Mrs Wheeler said they also had a lot of repeat business this season but a number of new customers as well.
“People were just staying a lot longer rather than taking short trips,” she said.
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