All in a stay’s work
Lockdowns, border closures and other pandemic-induced restrictions sent Australia’s domestic tourism market into a whirlpool. But what has it meant for the bed-and-breakfasts and other accommodation?
Often set up as investment properties and small businesses, hosted accommodation generally carries debt, and owners rely heavily on year-round tenancy to pay the mortgage and other costs. When the global pandemic hit, many owners were sent into a spin as forward bookings halted and the floodgates opened for cancellations.
A rollercoaster journey is how Stuart Amm describes his 2020. He and his wife own the Berry Lake House, a luxury homestay in Berry on the NSW south coast.
Between mid-December 2019 and February 2020, bushfires and subsequent rain put a stop to the property’s forward bookings. Then came the coronavirus in March, and any bookings held before the bushfires were now being
