Lisa Nimmo, owner of Merimbula Holiday Rentals said she believed it was going to be a stronger season than last year.

“Every season seems to be getting busier. It’s looking very busy in Merimbula for Christmas and is getting booked out very quickly,” Ms Nimmo said.

Centre co-ordinator at the Merimbula Visitor Centre, Jacqui Martyn said that bookings were very heavy for the seven to 10 days after Christmas.

“At this stage it’s heavy for Christmas with some availability for afterwards,” Ms Martyn said. 

“Traditionally we do see it booked out at this time of year.”

But Don Peterson of Fisk and Nagle’s Getaway Merimbula holiday rentals business was much more positive about the situation saying he was “stunned by the current level of bookings”.

“We’re in October and we have 70 per cent bookings for the week before Christmas. For the seven days following Boxing Day we have 100 per cent bookings, and the same for both the first and second weeks of January. The third week of January is at 80 per cent and the fourth week is currently at 50 per cent.

“We’ve not had bookings like this in years. We’re in for a blinder of a season,” Mr Peterson enthused.

It is not just the forward bookings looking good either, with Mr Peterson saying that the recent September school holiday bookings were “the best in five years”. Anecdotally, the town certainly appeared busier despite less than perfect weather at times.

The news was also good at Merimbula Lake Real Estate where property manager, Helen Stewart said that they had “nothing available for the two weeks from Boxing Day” although there was more availability later in January.

At the Merimbula Beach NRMA Holiday Park, guest relations officer, Ginny Francis said they were “pretty full from Boxing Day until January 20” adding that many people booked their holidays for the following year as they checked out.

“We get a couple of cancellations but they get re-booked straightaway,” Ms Francis said