The results are in and Victoria is welcoming more national visitors than ever before, spending their valuable dollars at local businesses and backing local jobs.
Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren hailed today’s latest National Visitor Survey results, which show record numbers of Australians travelling to regional Victoria.
Victoria welcomed almost 24 million domestic visitors, spending $13.3 billion in the 12 months to September, with some of the strongest growth occurring in our regions.
Visitors are spending more and staying longer when they explore regional Victoria, with visitation, spend and nights all experiencing double-digit growth.
Regional Victoria welcomed a record 15.6 million domestic visitors (up 15.1 per cent), who spent nearly $6 billion at pubs, hotels and on activities across our regions (up 15.5 per cent).
Victoria’s growth is also well ahead of the national regional average when it comes to visitor nights, with our regions boasting an impressive jump of almost 13 per cent.
Ten of Victoria’s tourism regions recorded double-digit growth in domestic overnight visitors, including Gippsland (up 34.4%), the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges (up 26.9%), the Grampians (up 24.2%), the Great Ocean Road (up 15.4%), Geelong and the Bellarine (up 15.1%) and the Murray (up 14.3%).
Visitor spend and nights also grew in ten regions, with strong growth in the Grampians, the Great Ocean Road, Gippsland, Yarra Valley and the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria’s High Country and Geelong and the Bellarine.
Those opting to spend the single day in Victoria are also spending more, up by 9.4 per cent to reach $5 billion, bounding ahead of the national average.
These impressive results are no accident. They prove that the Andrews Labor Government’s strategy with Visit Victoria to lure more visitors and strengthen regional communities is working.
The Labor Government has already supported more than 100 events across the regions and our major new tourism campaign, A Twist At Every Turn, is driving interstate visitation and supporting local jobs and businesses.
Victorian Government Media Release: 20 December 2017
