THE Orange hospitality industry's post-pandemic recovery has been boosted by strong bookings across the accommodation sector, with some venues booked out until June.
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A look over the various on-line platforms suggest Orange will be bustling with visitors during autumn, with FOOD Week from April 1 to 10, through Easter and into the school holidays looking particularly busy.
Book Orange has 107 properties available for short stays and manager Bec Hammond said there wasn't much room to move.
"We are booked and busy," Mrs Hammond said.
Mrs Hammond said the healthy bookings reflected a united approach from Orange's various hospitality and tourism provides, guided by Orange360, that was now reaping rewards.
"As a whole we've created a region people want to come too so even though there are other regions that have opened up, and Australia has opened right up, I think that Orange has got such a great reputation as being a great regional town to visit."
Across the Orange360 region of Blayney, Cabonne and Orange, there are 2763 beds available which can sleep 4299 people a night (taking into account double beds). That includes caravans, cabins, bed and breakfast venues, motels and hotels, and farm stays.
Orange360 general manager Caddie Marshall said if booked to capacity, the potential was there to earn over $300,000 a night at peak tariffs. At low tariffs, the amount would still be around $265,000.
"Plus a lot of people stay with friends and family," she said.
Veteran bed and breakfast host John Gransden, who runs Clifton Gardens with wife Kay, was cautiously optimistic.
'"We never process any value until the guests arrive and that's been a regular thing for the last two and a half years," Mr Gransden, who has owned and operated hosted accommodation for 21 years, said.
"Still to this day we get good bookings that are cancelled at the last minute because a member of the group has COVID. Nothing is certain until the guests arrive.
"It has been a roller-coaster ride however I remain very confident that Orange will just keep going very nicely.
"When you look up in the sky here, morning and afternoon, you see lots of aeroplanes and we haven't seen that for years. It's an indicator that all travel is back on stream."
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Kate Bowyer
Kate Bowyer is a senior reporter at the Central Western Daily.
Kate Bowyer is a senior reporter at the Central Western Daily.
