Greater Shepparton’s newest tourist attraction, the Museum of Vehicle Evolution, reported a surge in visitors throughout the weekend as regional regions of Victoria and Melbourne met under the same restrictions.
General manager Peter Hill said MOVE was the busiest since the doors opened a month ago.
“We absolutely noticed the difference, it looks pretty normal,” he said.
“There were a lot of people from outside the region and our visitors were happy to show their green tick to comply with COVID safety regulations. “
The Greater Shepparton Tourist Information Center welcomed an influx of metropolitan visitors the weekend after the Victoria and Melbourne regional meeting on Friday, October 29.
Acting tourism coordinator Kim Robson said the team had spent the last week preparing for family and friends of the Sheppartonians to visit loved ones for the first time in months.
Staff and volunteers even prepared additional resources for tourists to help them explain the restrictions related to COVID-19.
“We have implemented a new outdoor docking station to help navigate the new rules of the roadmap, to help make their stay more relaxing and fun,” she said.
For the town of Greater Shepparton, Ms Robson said the biggest sightseeing market is visiting friends and relatives and they expect plenty of weekend get-togethers with a few local activities.
“There are a lot of people who have been dying to visit for a long time,” she said.
“We hope those who come back to town will take with them a little piece of the great Shepparton.”
Depending on your interests, Ms Robson said there is a plethora of activities in the city to visit.
And many of them, like the recently opened MOVE, have opened since the last time the Melburnians were able to make the trip.
“In addition to the car, motorcycle and truck collections, this new museum is also home to the Loel Thomson clothing collection and the Furphy museum,” Ms. Robson said.
After the first weekend of authorized travel ends, Ms Robson said they expect weekend travel to become more common.
“We are looking forward to welcoming everyone again,” she said.
The Grand Shepparton Tourist Information Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to assist visitors and locals.
