NORTH East tourism figures are dubious about the worth of the Victorian Government's AFL grand final holiday.
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Premier Daniel Andrews flagged tourism businesses as the big winners from his day off during a visit to Beechworth in August.
Bright Visitors’ Centre owner Jenny Chalwell manages 75 holiday properties in the town which she said were "pretty well full" this weekend.
"We've got a very busy weekend this weekend anyway, that's because we've got a major running race and it's also school holidays," Ms Chalwell said.
"I think it would be just as busy with or without the public holiday."
Albury-Wodonga Motel Social Club president Damien Robinson dismissed the value of the holiday for his business.
"It's not very busy," Mr Robinson said of the response at his Best Western Stagecoach Motel in Wodonga.
"I think it's a bit worse and being a public holiday we have to pay public holiday rates to staff.
"I don't think it was a good idea, I think we have enough public holidays."
Bright Holiday Park manager Jaime Banks said bookings for her business had "flooded in" over the past fortnight and she expected to be 60 to 70 per cent full.
"Even today they are realising we should get out and do something, because the weather is so good," Mrs Banks said on Friday.
Yarrawonga-Mulwala Tourism executive officer Noel Wright said 80 to 90 per cent of the 36 properties he manages would be occupied, but it was hard to separate school holiday trade from those taking advantage of the grand final break.
"It's certainly busier than the equivalent weekend last year and the weather has helped," Mr Wright said.
"September school holidays are usually reasonably busy, but there's no doubt it has stepped up as the ones that aren't going to the footy are coming here."
Among the visitors to the North East is Melbourne caravan owner Brian Geary and his wife Deborah.
They arrived at Granthams Reserve along the Murray River at Wahgunyah on Friday morning after making the trip up from Hampton Park.
Mr Geary, who is a plasterer, decided to escape the city after realising his football club Geelong would not be in this year's AFL finals.
"I am a one-eyed Geelong supporter and I knew we wouldn't be there this year and I've got a new van and our friends have got a new van so we decided to come up," Mr Geary said.
"It's good to have a break because unless you go into town there's nothing to do in Melbourne on grand final eve, so it's good to get away and camp on the banks of the Murray River and enjoy a cold one."
