SUMMER tourists to the Wangaratta district and the King Valley have hit their highest numbers since the 2018/19 season.
With fires cutting visitation numbers and business revenue over the 2019/20 summer, and COVID–19 last year, businesses are trying to compare activity to January 2019, three years ago.
La Cantina in the King Valley had a solid Christmas and New Year period and the number of visitors to the region has only started to ease off this week.
Wangaratta La Cantina manager Linda Newton said the last week has slowed down slightly but it's difficult to compare with the last two years.
"If we compare this January with the last good January we've had though, we've found it getting busier every day," she said.
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"In 2019 the Friday to Monday was busy but your midweek specifically was quiet, but now it seems to be busy seven days a week.
"Being school holidays there are usually more people still around but compared to 2019 it doesn't seem to be as busy as it has been in the past."
Over Christmas and New Year people from Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra visited La Cantina and also nearby residents from Mansfield and Wodonga, along with locals from Wangaratta who were showing the region to their friends and family who live in other areas.
"We've found that people are just happy to sit outside and enjoy their wine tasting over a longer period and we've had the 'build your own platter' on offer where patrons can hang around for longer."
It's a similar idea that Milawa Cheese has on offer with people choosing to have a picnic on the lawn.
The nest of boutique eateries at Milawa allows patrons to stop for a while and taste some of the produce if passing through or visiting the iconic town as a destination.
Milawa Cheese platters and deli meats are a perfect match for the Woodpark wines on offer while visitors soak up the beautifully mild summer days the region has been putting on lately.
Lancemore Milawa had a great Christmas and New Year period into the first week of January, however, bookings have declined over the past two weeks.
General manager Greg Arnott said unfortunately the fewer number of bookings would be due to COVID case numbers rising in the area.
"It should be a peak season for us at Lancemore Milawa, however, we just haven't had the bookings that we've budgeted for and expected," Mr Arnott said.
"Weddings are still being held at Brown Brothers and this is what's keeping the bookings ticking over, but it is usually much more busier than this compared to pre–COVID years."
Wangaratta Caravan Park manager Simone Gough has had the best December and January since she bought the park in November 2019.
"We had the fire Christmas when nobody came and then the COVID Christmas when nobody came, so it's nice to get people back in the park," Ms Gough said.
"Our cabin bookings remain strong and our transient customers in caravans have quietened down until everything opens up properly.
"It will be good to have more caravanners once the peak season is over, but at this point in time it's hard to know what to expect because we haven't got anything to compare it to."
