While COVID travel restrictions are currently impacting on business through the state, the long-term tourism trends suggest Orange will recover quickly, once higher vaccinations rates take effect and lockdowns are eased.
The latest figures from industry research firm, Tourism Solutions, confirm visitor numbers are growing this year, compared to past years.
According to the research, Orange hosted 438,000 overnight visitors in the year to March 2021. This was 16% larger than the 2020 figure.
Visitors are also staying longer. These visitors stayed an estimated 1.3 million nights, 48% up on the previous year. The average length of stay is up to 3 nights which saw their spending rise to an estimated $309 million in the 12 month period to March 2021.
During the same period there were 507,000 day visitors. These results compare favourably with our benchmark group of similar local government areas, which were down 16%. The rest of Central NSW was down 4% over the same period.
The data also indicates a healthy trend, noting that the three months to March 2021 were the third consecutive quarter with over 100,000 visitors (126,000).
Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said the latest research offered hope for the local business community.
"It's no secret that some local businesses are doing it tough while Sydney has been in lockdown," Cr Reg Kidd said.
"Up until then, regional centres within three or four hours' drive of Sydney have been making the most of Australians not being able to fly overseas."
"Going back a few months, we had every room full and restaurants booked out well in advance. But that came to a halt with the Sydney lockdown."
"What I want the local community to remember is that the long term tourism trends for Orange are strong, and that there is light at the end of the tunnel, once the lock down ends."
"I was delighted to see that our local business chamber is not sitting back, but is launching its own campaign to get foot traffic back into local stores. There's nothing like a joint effort when businesses all use the same 'We want you Orange' slogan to build some momentum and local shopping again."
Orange City Council's Employment and Economic Development Committee chair, Cr Tony Mileto said the health of Orange's visitor economy was good news for businesses in other sectors.
"Orange City Council's Spendmapp data consistently points to just how much visitors are spending," Cr Mileto said.
"The longer people stay, the more likely it is that they'll drop by major retailers and local traders. Once lock down ends in Sydney, there'll be people very ready to hit the road for a weekend away."
"It's also becoming clear just how much Orange is attractive to visitors from other parts of regional NSW. What we're hearing from local operators is that while Sydney visitors have stopped travelling during lock-down, that gap has largely been filled by people from other parts of NSW. That interest has shown up the benefits of Orange360 targeting new areas outside Sydney with its marketing."
