AFL Friday top cost the state : VECCI

Parts of Melbourne's CBD will be a ghost-town during the first grand final Friday public holiday, Victoria's chamber of commerce says.

While significant numbers of interstate and international visitors will grace the state over the long weekend, VECCI chief executive Mark Stone says the costs will far outweigh any gains.

"The cost to pay Victoria's almost two million full-time employees not to come to work could reach $543 million for the day," he said in a statement.

"As a Victorian business, this holiday will cost VECCI over $120,000 through lost revenue, paying people not to come to work and operating our advice line service to members and clients."

This will be the first year Melbourne's traditional Friday CBD grand final parade has been held on a public holiday.

"What the public holiday does this year is allow people outside the CBD to come in and enjoy what is a wonderful day," AFL operations general manager Travis Auld told reporters earlier in the week.