A legion of cars towing caravans, stocked up 4WDs, and brightly-coloured campervans rolled in from all directions as holidaymakers kicked the traditional Easter pilgrimage from Thursday onwards.

Despite the increased traffic volume, a Horsham police spokesperson said there were no major accidents to report.

"Everyone was very well behaved. It was a good weekend," they said.

READ MORE:

The sea of people across Horsham was nothing short of amazing, said Business Horsham ambassador Stacey Taig.

"All of the feedback we have received over the weekend was extremely positive," she said.

"I know the extraordinary efforts businesses went to was appreciated. We know things are difficult at the moment, but the way businesses responded to get ahead of the influx of tourists was amazing."

Ms Taig said there is still room to improve for operators across the city.

"Right now it is difficult to cater to both locals and tourists because of staffing shortages and penalty rates," she said.

"Some pockets of Horsham were packed with people on Monday, but the next block down was empty."

On Monday, May Park was packed with people; where was sections of Firebrace Street was empty.

"I think we need more strategic planning from across the sectors," Ms Taig said.

"We know accommodation providers will attract more travellers because domestic tourism is increasing; we know retail relies on hospitality to attract foot traffic.

"We need to work together and plan more effectively. Communication is key."

In Natimuk, National Hotel manager Bill Lovell said trade was going gangbusters.

"We've been flat out since Thursday," he said.

"It's consistent across the board; for the first time we had to turn people away because of how busy the kitchen got on Saturday. It was by far the biggest single weekend we have ever had."

Mr Lovell said there was no dominant type of traveller.

"We had climbers, families, ex-locals coming back to see their family. It was a great mixture," he said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: