While both Cowell’s caravan parks – the Foreshore and Harbour View parks – expect numbers to increase in coming months, new operators at Arno Bay Tourist Park and Port Neill Caravan Park report full occupancy rates over the Christmas period.

EP tourism operators have reported some bookings have been delayed or cancelled as a result of visitors’ heat and bushfire concerns.

However, the Port Lincoln Visitor Information Centre reports that tourism numbers are up by as much as 10,000 people in 2009, despite slightly lower numbers for the December period.

By contrast, Whyalla Visitor Information Numbers are slightly down by around 600 people.

VIC operators believe the trend centres around ferry operations in the spencer gulf – which are currently suspended.

But closer to home, local tourist parks are taking advantage of increased numbers. Belinda and Steven Dunn, new owners of the Arno Bay Caravan Park, say the park has been at maximum capacity all December with camping sites, vans and cabins all full.

“We’ve had a lot of local families and some family reunions, as well as VacSwim [participants] all taking advantage of the park,” Belinda said.

“The local fishing charters and their big TV presence is making a difference, and the travelling grey nomads are really pushing Arno Bay as a good place to go. We get a lot of positive feedback from those older travellers.”

The couple has also introduced a series of community innovations to make visitors feel more at home.

“Over the holidays we’ve been having sausage sizzles for charity over the holidays, pancake breakfasts and we’re putting in a dog wash,” she said.

Port Neill Caravan Park also changed hands in 2009, with a cooperative of local residents now owning the facility.

Manager Peggy Cox says the group has made some improvements and is already attracting a lot of support from local and SA holiday-makers.

“We have had an excellent season and been booked out most of the time,” Peggy said.

“We’ve reopened the shop for takeaway food and groceries and deli lines and that has been going well - we’ve been run off our feet.

“This summer, we have a lot of return holiday-makers from across SA: Whyalla, Port Augusta, Kimba, a lot from around Cleve.”

All parks report that the ‘grey nomads’ are still an important part of the local tourism trend, many of whom will return to the region outside of school holidays.