While majority of people are choosing to stay close to home given the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic - one Port Macquarie couple decided they'd break free of their home state.
Port Macquarie couple Tammy and Karen Hosking recently travelled interstate to Tasmania for a holiday.
The trip had been months in the making - given ongoing border closures across the country.
"Finally the stars aligned and we were able to go this year," Tammy said.
The Hoskings admit they were the minority in terms of people travelling interstate.
Majority of travellers they met were from Tasmania, who had chosen to see more of their own backyard.
"Usually when you go to touristy places, they are full of buses with overseas tourists and it was actually really nice to have less travellers," Tammy said.
"We had places to ourselves that would normally be overrun."
They made it a priority to only book accommodation which had a flexible cancellation policy, to allow them to reschedule or receive a full refund.
The Hoskings were vigilant with COVID safety measures, especially when travelling on the planes.
"However, we did feel pretty safe in Tasmania because their COVID case numbers are a lot lower than other states," Tammy said.
"I feel like we were safer there than we were probably travelling in our own backyard."
Despite the dire COVID situation in NSW, the couple didn't experience any discrimination in relation to the issue.
"Tasmania has really taken a hit when it comes to tourism," Tammy said.
"They were so grateful to have tourists."
Camden Haven Travel's Jenny Peters has worked in the travel industry for 45 years and said the current situation is demoralising.
Mrs Peters said it's a frustrating time for agents who spend a lot of time planning an ideal holiday for their clients, only for them to cancel at the last minute.
The situation hasn't changed over the past two years, due to the uncertainty people feel in the current COVID climate.
"I think we have to learn to live with it and move on," Mrs Peters said.
"People are getting sick of staying close to home."
Mrs Peters said bookings have been slow but there are some trips planned for later in the year.
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