By ANDY WILSON
AS the snow season looks to draw to its end next month, much is being made of recent large falls which have buoyed the visitor numbers for 2022.
Katie Bowker from Mt Hotham Alpine Resort Management described this winter as one of the best seasons on record with visitation rates increasing by 50 per cent.
The number of visitors to Mt Hotham in the week leading up to September 18 was 7600, more than double the number during the same week last year and well ahead of any numbers in years prior to the pandemic.
"It has been a great season, obviously due to the pent–up demand after two years of COVID, but a most fantastic winter has helped draw hundreds of thousands to the mountain," Ms Bowker said.
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Falls Creek has also had record high numbers of visitors, including both day visitors and overnight stays.
Sarah Watts from Falls Creek Alpine Resort Management described this season's numbers as 'phenomenal'.
"The figures this year have been fantastic and it's good not only to see the visitors return but also to see local operators and staff back in action," Ms Watt said.
"The bumper snow falls have helped as well.
"It simply adds to the experience for people as they arrive and see the snow; for them the stars seem to have aligned nicely."
The popularity of Mt Buffalo as a destination was similar, despite poor snowfalls this year.
David Chitty, who operates Adventure Guides Australia, estimated this year's numbers have increased by about 40 per cent.
"Numbers of visitors up to Mt Buffalo compared to previous years definitely increased this year even though we had fairly poor snow over August and September," he said.
Mr Chitty's perspective on the increased numbers is more philosophical than meteorological.
"During COVID, people learned to value the ability to do things outdoors and since then I think there has been a shift in people's work–life balance," he said.
"The beauty of Mt Buffalo is its ease of access, that it has free entry, and if the kids get cold and wet, it's only half an hour back down to the motel or home again.
"At the moment there would be only what we call sight–seeing snow."
