The next fortnight will reveal if border tourism businesses will receive any "relief" from a permit system change, as intended by the Victorian government.
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Volunteer-run Mulwala attraction Tunzafun has lost about half its usual takings since the start of 2021.
Member George Jenkin said with just under two weeks left of school holidays, he was unsure what the "green" zone designation would mean for them.
"There's not much more we can do about it, unfortunately," he said.
"We're getting quite a few locals and we're very pleased with that ... but the Melbourne contingent that would have been in the caravan parks couldn't cross the border.
"I think everyone would be too scared to do anything now, for fear the whole situation will change again."
A similar sentiment was shared by the operator of Murray Bank Holiday Units in Corowa, Jen Harders.
"It probably won't make a great deal of different to us, because most of our people are in over Christmas and New Year," she said.
"The New Year groups had to just turn around and go home.
"It was just awful over that time, every time the phone rang, you knew it was a cancellation.
"Maybe the ones who went home may come back, I don't know."
Mrs Harders, who operates units on a 16-acre property with her family, said once Melburnians could get into NSW border towns, the requirement to get a test and isolate upon return turned them away.
"I've had cancellations for even the March long weekend, because they're not sure what's going to happen," she said.
"We get quite a lot of Melbourne people.
"Fingers-crossed they'll be able to come this year ... everyone's in the same boat."
At Federation Council's first meeting of 2021, the come-home order to Victorians was described as "dangerous" as "a lot of them [crossing the border] were intoxicated".
Cr Paul Miegel compared the current division across the country to the unity that enabled federation, which began in Corowa 128 years ago.
"It is now a community which has been torn apart by the leaders of those very same states," he said.
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"State leaders have sacrificed the economies and the mental health of this and every border community to compensate for issues in their own capital cities.
"I urge all our state leaders ... to agree to a consistent, national co-ordinated approach."
