Tourism operators in regional Victoria are pleading with travellers to be "kind", as previously locked down Melburnians flock to the countryside for a much-needed break.
Hotels and hospitality providers are reporting a massive increase in bookings, with some business owners saying they are booked all the way to February.
It comes as the State Government launches its campaign to encourage travel to regional Victoria.
"Since the announcement about [loosening] the ring of steel, we've had a lot of bookings come through, and yesterday it just went wild," Alpine Valley Getaways director Emma Hinchcliffe said.
"People are keen to get here as fast as they can — they don't want to wait."
Fires and COVID serve double whammy
After almost a year of economic hardship caused by last summer's bushfires and COVID-19, many regional Victorian communities are in recovery mode.
While the regions are forecast to recover faster than Melbourne, local economies still suffered a $1 billion loss.
But Ms Hinchcliffe said there had been an "incredible" response.
"We've gone from being well down on last year to being almost 20 per cent up on last year at this stage," she said.
"Going from the fires to COVID has been exhausting."
She said the major hurdle now was adapting to COVID procedures and sourcing staff.
"We're incredibly short-staffed; there are many big house bookings that we can't book because of restrictions on groups.
"So many restaurants would also love to have everyone in the door, but they can't.
"We just hope people are understanding of what we're trying to do to ensure we stay safe."
Holiday in your own backyard
The Government's Stay Close, Go Further campaign features advertisements that highlight the creativity, culture and unique offerings of Victoria and its people.
Visit Victoria chief executive Brendan McClements said it would be particularly important to support bushfire-affected areas.
"They've had the double whammy of the bushfires and then COVID, and so we hope this campaign leads to lots of people heading round the state," he said.
"The ring of steel's down, the sun's out, and it's the perfect time to convince people to travel."
Bess Nolan-Cook, the chief executive of Tourism North-East, said it was important travellers planned ahead to avoid disappointment.
"It's important people be kind, be patient, and really make the most of what is a beautiful part of the world," she said.
"We are thrilled to be welcoming people back to the region and absolutely need the trade after such a tough year."
