HOLIDAY-MAKERS visiting the Myrtleford area are seemingly planning a reduced stay compared to previous years. According to a number a local holiday parks in Myrtleford, the volume of guests over the holidays remains the same, however the duration of their visits has reduced compared to last year’s bookings. “We’ve noticed our same regular customers as last year have shortened their holiday stays,” said Dave Byrne, owner of Ardern's Caravan Park in Myrtleford. “The cost of living is putting a dampener on their trip and they're just not staying as long; people are struggling to afford a lengthy holiday. “They still want to go away and they want to have fun over the festive season, but instead of a 10 or 12 day holiday, they’re now making shorter visits. “But they haven’t made the decision not to come, they’re just shorter stays.” Myrtleford Holiday Park manager, Jo Joyce, said the park’s bookings similarly reflected shorter stays. “Between December 26 and 29, we have a full house, but visitors are not staying as long,” Ms Joyce said. “I’ve been a manager here since November 2022, so I’ve seen the change in holiday traffic. “I’ve noticed a lot of new people coming through, but of the guests who have been coming year on year, a few have cancelled their bookings. “I don’t know if it’s a change of mind or a change of circumstances, you can’t know. “The very first year I was here, the check-ins for December 26 was a very, very big day for us. “Now, people are spreading their bookings out over a couple of weeks. “For cabin bookings, our visitors have cut the number of days down this season. “Looking ahead at January, bookings always go quiet...Australia Day here is not big. “We do have a big group of people to do boating at the lake (Buffalo), but they normally leave before the Australia Day weekend.”
