Accommodation businesses have already started taking bookings from people following news the "ring of steel' border between regional and metropolitan Victoria would be removed.
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Bendigo Motel Association president Kristyn Slattery said phones at her motel, the Julie-Anna Inn, had been ringing in the last 24 hours.
"It was a bit of a sigh of relief yesterday (after the announcement) to have the opportunity to begin rebuilding," she said. "It will be a long winding road to recovery, but this is the first step.
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"It has not quite been 24 hours since the announcement but the phones are ringing. It's nice to know they still work.
"The calls we have had are repeat business wanting a place that is familiar. I'd like to think it is the same across the board for accommodation across Bendigo."
Ms Slattery said she would like to see more restrictions eased for hospitality and tourism businesses to help the state's economy recover quicker.
"For Bendigo to boom as a tourism town, it needs motels and accommodation providers so people can stop overnight and experience the region for multiple days at time," she said.
"But we still need restrictions to be eased for eateries, cafes, attractions and hotels so when we can accept entire population of Victoria, there are places can go eat and visit in a safe manner.
"Yesterday's announcement didn't include (further) relief for eateries (in regional Victoria). If visitors can't go out because numbers are restricted, that's disappointing. It's the same for attractions, they need movement to be able to open up and be viable."
Indoor tourism attractions, art galleries and cinemas were originally slated to re-open on November 23 or after 14-days of no new cases.
Bendigo Heritage Attractions chief executive James Reade said he was still waiting on clarification as to when Central Deborah Gold Mine and other attractions could reopen.
"We are ready to go as soon as were allowed to open," he said.
"We're hoping common sense prevails before then and they review the loophole and allow attractions to open up.
"We have got cars driving past every day wanting to come in but can't. We know pubs and motels are beginning to book out and we're missing out."
Ms Slattery said she expected people to travel all over Victoria in the weeks after November 9 - which is when the border will be lifted.
"I think (people) will spread themselves across the state and rightly so," she said. "People want to get out and we are keen to get them back.
"Our doors open, they never closed and we are COVID ready."
During the second lockdown, the Bendigo Motel Association launched a Buy Now, Stay Later campaign to try and help their financial income.
"It was a great success for us," Ms Slattery sad. "Having never done something like that before we were happy with the numbers we got.
"We gambled a bit that stays would be possible from December and the timing was quite perfect."