It seems tourism levels have varied for different operators and businesses along the Murray have over the Christmas New Year period - some have been busier than normal, but some have not.
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Owner of Corowa Whiskey and Chocolate Dean Druce said the number of customers to the business had been similar to years before the pandemic.
"We're busier than last year, only because last year we were shut thanks to Dan Andrews, but on years gone by it's probably fairly similar to what we have been in the past," he said.
"Some days are really busy and then other days are not, I think there's still a lot of confusion around exactly what people can and can't do.
"There's also a lot of nervous, anxious people about case numbers ... so it's a strange old time."
Mr Druce said density limits had also played a role.
"We've been really busy, but because of the occupancy rates we can't actually see anymore people," he said.
"So we're still seating 200 to 250 at a time, but ordinarily at any other holidays we would have 500 people in because you'd be able to get them in, pack them in and do two sittings or three sittings.
"You've got to be careful because you don't want to break the rules, but you also want to make the most of it, while it's there."
Mr Druce said if lockdowns were re-introduced or COVID-19 cases skyrocketed in the coming weeks or months, the real test would be to see if any wedding party bookings were cancelled or changed.
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Meanwhile, further west along the Murray, the Yarrawonga/Mulwala Visitor Information Centre reported increased visitation.
Team Leader Helen Copland said it had been very busy.
"Were dealing with sometimes 500 people a day, it's crazy," she said.
Ms Copland said tourists were coming from as far as Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, Mildura, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland.
"Even from Albury and Echuca, for goodness sake, or Wangaratta coming here to stay," she said.
"We ask 'where have you come from' and they'll say 'just up the road'.
"But it's funny they're booking their accommodation and they're bringing their boats and they're staying here for a week or a fortnight or a couple of nights or whatever it may be."
Ms Copland attributed the increase to people wanting to escape the confines of their home.
"It's just been the lockdown over the last 18 months I think people are just breaking free," she said.
"For us what we're seeing is just people getting out; they're sick of being in the city and they just want to relax and not be stuck around a five kilometer or a 10 kilometer radius."
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