The decline in visitors to the Grampians due to fears about bushfires has created job concerns for Halls Gap businesses.
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Kookaburra Hotel owner Yvonne Heinrich said the tourism drop meant she had reduced the number of staff and amount of shifts available for casuals during the usually busy summer period.
"It started getting quiet in November with the awareness in the media of the fires in Queensland and NSW," she said.
"I haven't been able to employ as many people as I would expect to at this time of year.
"A lot of casuals would rely on these shifts but I just couldn't roster them as much."
Livefast Cafe owner Will Hudson said in the nine years he had run the business the trade this summer did seem quieter, but that he wasn't too concerned.
"There's a bit of a drop off but not enough to make me worry," he said.
"As much as people are worried about the slump I think it will be short lived."
Mr Hudson also co-owns Paper Rock Scissors Brew Co, which was opened less than 12 months ago.
He said the trade there had been fantastic and they would go ahead with plans to hire more staff.
"We are still looking for someone to run our front of house," he said. "We have got our kitchen on track now having recently hired a new chef.
"We have been advertising quite a bit."
Mr Hudson said his staff were generally a mix of people from the Wimmera, treechangers and people on working holiday visas.
"We look to hire local where we can," he said. "But at the end of the day we are trying to find the best people we can for the job.
"We used to be able to fill jobs locally but we are having to look further, to Melbourne."
Mr Hudson said there was a growing food culture in the Grampians with other businesses opening up in Halls Gap, which presented employment opportunities.
Halls Gap Hotel owner Matt Humphries said the summer trade had been good so far but he hadn't seen the up to date figures yet.
"In regards to having enough work for our employees, we have plenty for current staff and are continually seeking more skilled staff to join our team," he said.
Grampians Tourism chief executive Marc Sleeman said new eateries and providores in the Grampians were attracting workers from Melbourne and Adelaide.
"The Adelaide market has been more inclined to take that leap to the regions," he said.
Mr Sleeman said a campaign in conjunction with the City of Ballarat and Sovereign Hill to help businesses recruit and retain a skilled workforce was an ongoing initiative.
Tourism is the primary industry for people in Halls Gap, with 34.1 per cent working in accommodation, and 8.7 per cent employed in cafes and restaurants, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 census.
Have you been affected by the drop in tourist trade?
Eliza Berlage
Eliza Berlage made the move to Horsham to report for the Wimmera Mail-Times in October 2019. Originally from Sydney, she has a sociology background and spent two years working in the press gallery in Canberra.
Eliza Berlage made the move to Horsham to report for the Wimmera Mail-Times in October 2019. Originally from Sydney, she has a sociology background and spent two years working in the press gallery in Canberra.
