LOCAL accommodation providers are not suffering any sort of post-pandemic hangover as the peak tourist season gets underway.

Those providers contacted by the Observer have reported solid bookings, with most unable to take bookings until well into next month.

Some have had hiccups, but even they aren’t seeing a falloff in bookings as tourists continue to flock to Portland and surrounds.

Mac’s Hotel general manager Deb Craib said bookings were “fantastic”, with the accommodation full until mid-January.

“It’s been phenomenal,” she said.

“We’re getting people left, right and centre, everyone is loving Portland.”

There were plenty of guests from Melbourne and once the weather warmed up they would come down from the likes of Horsham.

“We’ve had a few international tourists as well which is very exciting, people from Canada, the UK, Switzerland and Italy, not in droves yet but they will be here.

“We say we train all year for these three weeks.”

Spinnaker’s Barn is an upmarket provider on Bentinck St, next to Bayview College, and co-owner Michelle Baulch said while bookings for the holiday period were moderate, they had been high during the year.

“There is a natural downturn at the moment because of the interest rates (going up),” she said.

But even then vacancies were only really available from January 6.

“I’m optimistic the dates will fill up,” she said.

“People absolutely love Portland and the feedback we get is great.

“Over and over our guests just say they can’t believe the natural beauty of Portland.”

Mandy Maniapoto at Victoria House on Tyers St said “we’re full as usual”.

That included just before Christmas as well, which was surprising.

“We’re booked out from (Boxing Day) through and just about fully booked to April,” Ms Maniapoto said.

“We’ve got a lot from Melbourne and Adelaide lately as well and a few overseas ones starting to sneak back again.

“Even over the last couple of months we’ve been busy, out of nine rooms we’d have six or seven booked every night.”

From February to May Victoria House has solid bookings with walking groups.

Out at Narrawong, it’s pretty much the same story.

Brad Williams of the Narrawong Island Holiday Park said bookings were “really, really solid”.

“We’re booked out up until about January 9, then there’s a couple of small little gaps, then we’re booked out again,” he said.

As is traditionally the case at the caravan park, which is a popular place for locals to go during the summer, 80 per cent were re-bookings from last year.

“They’re still the majority year after year with a touch of new people from everywhere,” Mr Williams said.

He also reported solid bookings in the months leading up to summer.

“The weather hasn’t helped us but we’ve still been getting a few people through,” Mr Williams said.

“Our numbers are on a par with last year which was quite a good year after COVID.”

And it’s the same elsewhere.

Rob Hunt of the Cape Nelson Lighthouse accommodation has been hamstrung with the work going on at the lighthouse (story in last Friday’s Observer) but said bookings had not dropped off.

“I would say Portland is seriously on the map as a destination at this point,” he said.

“It’s increased over the last three years (taking the coronavirus pandemic into account) and we’re pretty much booked out over Christmas and New Year.”

Quest Portland franchisee Vincent Bellerose said his business, which mainly catered to the corporate sector during the year, was now strongly booked by leisure travellers for the next six weeks.

“It’s the busiest time of year, we haven’t had a slowdown,” he said.

“We’re mainly getting holidaymakers from Melbourne, a few from South Australia as well.

“Hopefully the weather can hold out.”

● Meanwhile in a preview to the peak season Glenelg Shire Council last week launched its latest foray into digital technology – the Visit Glenelg Vic phone app.

The app, which is still in development but is available to download from app stores, is designed to showcase what the shire has to offer holidaymakers.

Council economic development manager Jane Young said the app would “bring us into the digital age” complementing the likes of the Portland Tourist Association guidebooks.

“It’s obviously across the whole shire so we’re featuring all our towns,” she said.

“I’d really encourage everybody to download it and have a little look through, if you’ve got any ideas on what we can include there’s so many options.”

That even included virtual reality.

“It’s in a basic format at the moment but we’d really like to add to it in the next few months,” Ms Young said.