Regional holidays in NSW and Victoria: Byron Bay still popular despite poor vaccination rates

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Regional holidays in NSW and Victoria: Byron Bay still popular despite poor vaccination rates

By Sue Williams
The Byron Bay region has one of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in NSW.

The Byron Bay region has one of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in NSW.Credit: Elise Derwin

It may be touted as the anti-vax capital of Australia, but Byron Bay is still topping many people's holiday wish lists as travel restrictions ease this weekend and regional NSW and Victoria gear up for a surge of visitors.

Destination NSW and online agencies booking.com and Wotif all have the north coast idyll at number one on their lists of the most searched regional destinations in NSW – despite its vaccination rate still severely lagging the rest of the state.

The town has re-asserted its popularity amid a rush of bookings for late November, December and January for favourite holiday spots like the NSW South Coast, Central Coast and Hunter Valley, and Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, Phillip Island and the Bellarine Peninsula.

Cape Byron Lighthouse. Bookings for the region remain strong as travel resumes.

Cape Byron Lighthouse. Bookings for the region remain strong as travel resumes.Credit: Elise Derwin

"But Byron has an appeal to all Australians that transcends any other human factors," said Rob Jeffress, chairman of The Australian Short Term Rental Association. "We'll still see the same numbers going there as at any other time. It's an Australian icon."

The double vaccination rate in Byron is at 55.3 per cent, and rising rapidly, but is still in stark contrast with NSW's 85 per cent and Victoria's 80 per cent rates.

Byron Bay-based Janelle Montano, who runs short-term accommodation firm Your Luxury Escape, says there has been a rush to vaccinate with a new pop-up clinic and the realisation that non-vaxxers can be shut out of jobs, cafes and bars.

"We've had some bad publicity about being the unvaxxed capital ... and I think that may have affected our bookings to some degree," she said. "People have been a bit scared of coming here, especially if they have children under 12.

"But the anti-vaxxers are a minority, and they're more in the Mullumbimby region and we're now playing catch-up."

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Travel-starved Sydneysiders and Melburnians are now deluging agencies with accommodation bookings and requests for cancellations where everything is full.

Booking.com area manager for Australia Melissa Ellison said: "We're excited to see the appetite for travel is bigger than ever with the opportunity for Australians to experience the summer together once again. It's amazing to see that the desire to get back to travel remains so strong, and we're expecting a very busy travel period."

Their site has seen Byron, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle and Yamba most in demand in NSW, and in Victoria, Halls Gap, Warrnambool, Apollo Bay, Bright and Lorne. At Wotif, it's Byron and the North Coast, the Northern Rivers, South Coast, Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, as well as the Mornington Peninsula, Great Ocean Road, Geelong, Gippsland and Daylesford.

"There is no doubt this year's summer holiday period is going to be one of the busiest yet," says Wotif managing director Daniel Finch. "Aussies are preferencing intrastate holidays and road trips closer to home, where they can book with confidence and quickly re-evaluate their travel plans, if needed. However interest for interstate travel has grown in recent weeks, as travel confidence grows.

"Looking at this year's trends, the latest Wotif.com data shows coastal favourites in NSW and Victoria continue to be most popular. However, more so than previous years, we're seeing growing interest for regional and in-land destinations across both states, like Albury NSW and Grampians Victoria with an increase in interest of over 150 per cent."

With so many Victorian favourites already heavily booked, Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements suggests travellers choose "the road less travelled" and try to discover new, lesser-known holiday spots, perhaps around the Murray, Port Fairy and Gippsland.

"People, we know, are very keen to reconnect with the regions and maybe they should go to places they haven't thought of before," he said. "There might be a little trepidation about vaccinations, but much of regional Victoria has a higher rate even than Melbourne.

"We're also encouraging travel operators to be proactive with highly visible signage about the importance of double vaccinations and certificates, so people know what to expect. And for those travelling we want them to think about it before they leave home and we've launched our Travel Kind initiative, reminding people to be kind to operators who've been doing it tough."

Many accommodation providers in the regions have also been bringing in specialist cleaners to allay concerns.

COVID-19 cleaning company Whizz says antimicrobial misting can eliminate the virus from surfaces for 30 days. Its spokesman, Stephen Giderson, said: "There's been a lot of demand from the holiday rental industry in regional NSW and Victoria. People visiting want to feel safe and this gives them a layer of extra security and confidence, especially in places like Byron."

In NSW, short-term letting platform Stayz reports towns like Brunswick Heads, Yamba, Port Macquarie, Jervis Bay and Mollymook are completely sold out for Christmas, while in Victoria, Phillip Island has only five per cent of holiday homes left to book.

"The trend of travel within your own state will continue this summer according to our demand data," says Stayz travel expert Simone Scoppa. "But looking ahead to the second week in January, most regions across NSW have more than 40 per cent of holiday homes left to book, so that's a key time to look for a break."

With the strength of demand for regional beds, prices have been going up for some, too. Residential rents have surged in most markets, so short-term lets have had to increase to keep up, advises Mr Jeffress.

"Also, people may have bought their properties recently so, as new operators, they'll want a return on their investment," he said. "But even when places look full, holidaymakers will still be able to find gaps, and maybe home-owners will put their homes on for a short time to help."

Short-term letters Airbnb agrees that travellers are often looking beyond their favourite spots for a break.

"While traditional holiday destinations continue to be popular, guests are also seeking stays in those lesser-known locations that might be slightly further afield," says Susan Wheeldon, country manager for Australia and New Zealand.

"In Victoria, areas like Rye, Apollo Bay and Bright are good examples while in NSW there's enthusiasm for places like Lennox Head and Nelson Bay. As travel opens up, Airbnb hosts are looking forward to rolling out their welcome mats to help guests enjoy all their region has to offer and bring in much-needed tourism dollars for local businesses."

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