With non-essential travel restrictions easing from June 1, businesses in some of the Mid Coast's hardest hit sectors are hoping tourists will flock to the region and inject some much-needed money back into the local economy.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mel Bartz, owner of Kembali Cafe at Blueys Beach, said the business had been relying on local support since the pandemic hit in March, but she expected the tourists to return in June.
"I think the long weekend (June 6-8) will be a big one," Mrs Bartz said.
"I've heard there's a lot of holiday bookings already."
Mrs Bartz said it had been a tough time for many businesses that relied on tourism in the Pacific Palms area, but she hoped a busy winter would help them get back on their feet.
She believed the continuing restrictions on international travel would be advantageous in this regard.
"I think it'll be a big winter," she said.
"Everyone's ready to get back to making some money again and not just surviving."
You may also like: Construction of Forster Civic Precinct put on hold
Big 4 Great Lakes Holiday Park general manager, Nick Jacobs, agreed the winter ahead had the potential to be busier than usual.
He said the phone hadn't stopped ringing since the NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, announced non-essential travel restrictions would be lifted.
"There's been an incredible amount of interest," Mr Jacobs said.
Like most accommodation providers across NSW, Big 4 Great Lakes has been closed since March 26, with the park only allowed to accept essential and approved workers.
It will officially open again on June 1, albeit with a number of measures in place to ensure the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak remains low.
"We're obviously going to exercise every caution," Mr Jacobs said.
"If we can limit the spread of infection in the community, I think the road forward is fairly positive from here."
Forster Tuncurry Business Chamber president, Megan Lewis, expected the area to prove popular among tourists in the coming months, particularly given its proximity to Sydney and Newcastle.
"There has already been a strong response to the easing of restrictions, with accommodation providers reporting bookings coming in for the June long weekend and it's an even stronger response for the July school holidays," she said.
"With more people holidaying in the area, we anticipate they will also frequent our cafes, shops and clubs."
At Old Bar, owner of Flow Bar and Boogie Woogie Beach House, Steve Doessal, isn't so sure the town will see a major influx of tourists.
"I hope it goes nuts, but I don't think it will," he said.
Mr Doessal said he had only received a small amount of accommodation bookings for the coming weeks, and with a cap on patrons making it hard for the business to cover the cost of live music, he didn't expect to be overwhelmed by customers at Flow.
But he admitted he would have to wait and see.
"I think there'll be a lot of learning in June to see how it goes," Mr Doessal said.
Business NSW Mid North Coast regional manager, Kellon Beard, believes the Mid North Coast economy will receive "a little sugar hit" when restrictions ease.
"I think we'll see an influx of people," he said.
Thank you for valuing local journalism with your subscription. While you're with us, you can also receive updates straight to your inbox from the Great Lakes Advocate. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here.
