Southbank regains its buzz

By Rhonda Dredge

Southbank is regaining its old optimism with tourists returning during late March as some hotels reported good occupancy rates.

Groups are travelling down from Sydney to catch up with friends and see the sights.

“We’re staying in the CBD,” one group of tourists told Southbank News.

They booked a river cruise then had lunch at one of the new outdoor dining places.

River cruises are reporting good bookings and at least one Southbank hotel is more than 80 per cent full.

Local resident of Quay West Suites Josephine Ransom said the last few weeks of March had been a bit of a roller coaster in terms of numbers.

“It’s good to see people back,” she said. “Particularly a breakfast crowd.”

She said the hotel was empty during COVID but as soon as lockdown was over they began to return.

She owns an apartment above the hotel but spends three days a week down at Mount Martha.

“The sad thing is that at the Food Hall [Southgate] eight of 14 businesses have gone to the wall,” she said.

She said that with the planned development of a new hotel nobody knew what the future would hold.

“I like everything back to normal,” she said. “With the Comedy Festival the place was buzzing.”

Last month the state government and the City of Melbourne announced a $5 million investment in events.

The Rising Festival (read more page 17), Winter Night Market, the World’s Longest Brunch, Melbourne Cocktail Festival and Melbourne Good Food Month were just some of the events to receive support from the joint $100 million Melbourne City Recovery Fund.

The state government’s Melbourne Travel Voucher Scheme was also launched in March in addition to the council’s “FOMO” marketing campaign •