Some Yamba business people rate town’s current holiday season as the busiest July on record.
Mark Mitchell, proprietor of the Blue Dolphin Holiday Resort and Angourie Resort, agrees, and said “everything was full over the weekend and for the next five days, [too].
“We’re usually busy at this time with the Grafton races and holidays,” he said.
“But it’s definitely a busier than previous years – surprisingly busy.”
Mr Mitchell said that, despite having six people serving guest arrivals, it was difficult to keep up with demand.
“It was as busy as or busier that Christmas – and [staff] getting the places all cleaned up and ready to be booked out again was a huge effort at both resorts,” he said.
Pacific Hotel owner, Jack McIntosh, said he “couldn’t agree more” when it was suggested this was Yamba’s busiest July.
“It’s been amazing; even with the limited numbers and considering we have to turn people away [due to COVID-19 restrictions], we’re doing better than last year,” he said.
Yamba Chamber of Commerce president, James Allan, from the family-run Caperberry Cafe, said it was their busiest July, although they have only been running the business for two years.
“It looks like our holiday-makers’ confidence is back up to 100 per percent,” he said.
“But I haven’t had the time to go around chatting to other businesses; we’ve been getting smashed here.
“I had a bit of a catch-up with Business NSW and other chambers around the region coastal towns, though, and their stories are much the same, tourists are back from all of the far flung regions around the state.
“It seems pretty positive all around.”
Tracy Walkinshaw, proprietor of The Corner Store and Country Mouse shops, said, “We’ve doubled in sales compared to last month and, compared to previous years, I’d say we’re up about 30 per cent.”
Operations manager at Yamba Bowling Club, Steve Seymour, said “things are going pretty good”.
“Since the NSW holidays started, in combination with Queensland’s, we’ve had some busy lunches,” he said.
“One week, before they increased the numbers, we turned people away from the raffles when we could have 280 people in the club; we can have 477 people at the moment.”
Yamba Arts Space proprietor, Kerry Howland, said on Friday July 10 that “business had picked up considerably in the last 48 hours”.
However, she said it was “a bit soon to say” if the surge in demand was “exceeding her expectations”.
On the enforcement of the COVID-19 restrictions, Mark Mitchell said his resorts had been “regularly visited” by NSW Health and the NSW Police Force, which he welcomed.
“It would be bad if we had an outbreak just as we are starting to get back to normal,” he said.
Mr Mitchell also noted that many of the holiday makers at his resorts were more affluent than usual.
“They’ve been no paupers in there, that’s for sure; they’re here with their four-wheel-drives, jetskis, etcetera; it’s incredible, the different type of clientele,” he said.
He said he was grateful that government had implemented the Jobkeeper scheme.
“We’ve utilised that to get a lot of spring cleaning done and to get the resorts up to scratch,” he said.
He said having empty resorts had enabled speedier and cheaper construction of new buildings and that various other government schemes, such as the pay role tax exemption, had significantly aided his businesses.
After having to cease trading, he said, the arrival of July was “like turning the tap on again”.