The latest domestic visitor survey shows Tourism Victoria’s You’ll love every part of Victoria jigsaw campaign continues to pay off.
Not only did more visitors come to Victoria for the year ending March 2008, compared with the same period last year, they also spent more money.
According to the latest National Visitor Survey (NVS) domestic visitation grew by 3.6 per cent in the last 12 months.
Significantly, overnight visitor expenditure in Victoria increased by 10.3 per cent to reach $8.7 billion.
Melbourne is also outperforming Sydney as the most lucrative domestic tourism destination with domestic overnight visitors spending $135 million more in Melbourne.
Year-on-year growth in interstate overnight visitor numbers to Victoria outperformed the national average (+0.0%) and key competitor Sydney (+3.0%).
The biggest increase in overnight visitors to Victoria was from the Northern Territory, up by 30.8% and Western Australia which increased by 26.8%.
Victoria experienced growth in domestic overnight visitation from the holiday/leisure market (up 8.4 per cent) and business (up 5.1 per cent) also grew strongly.
Tourism Victoria’s It’s Easy to Lose Yourself in Melbourne campaign which encourages visitors to explore the city has motivated a record number of visitors to come and discover Melbourne for themselves.
The number of interstate overnight visitors to Melbourne increased by 7.7 per cent to reach 4.1 million visitors.
The good news continued with the results for the number of domestic visitors to Melbourne increased by 5.5 per cent to reach 6.7 million.
Visitor nights to Melbourne also experienced 2.2 per cent growth to reach 19.3 million.
Regional Victoria also reaped benefits with the number of domestic visitors boosted by 3.3% to reach 11.6 million.
Overnight visitation increased in seven of regional Victoria’s ten campaign regions: Phillip Island by 17.5 per cent, Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges by 9.0 per cent, Mornington Peninsula by 6.4 per cent, Yarra Valley and the Dandenong Ranges by 5.7 per cent, Great Ocean Road by 4.6 per cent, Gippsland by 3.2 per cent and the Murray by 1.0 per cent.
Domestic daytrip visitors to and within Victoria increased by 9.4% to 35.7 million and daytrips to regional Victoria grew 12.6% year on year to reach 24.0 million daytrips.
Tourism Victoria’s Marketing Masterclass - 8 October 2008
Voluntourism, Baby-moons, slow travel and high expectations – Victoria’s tourism businesses are competing for the tourist dollar in a crowded market place that is ever changing.
Tourism Victoria’s Tourism Marketing Masterclass is an innovative forum designed to provide you with updates and insights on what marketing is happening in the industry.
Registrations will open soon for the Masterclass, which will be held on 8 October at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
As Victorian tourism goes from strength to strength, tourism operators must be prepared to meet the opportunities that go with this growth with sound businesses, innovative marketing and ease of access to bookings by potential guests.
Come to the Tourism Marketing Masterclass to find out what you need to know about reaching your target and prospective domestic audiences, and how to achieve better results from your marketing efforts.
Topics to be explored include the future of on-line marketing and booking, brand marketing and marketing the ‘green’ credentials of your business. Hear tips on how to market your business on a shoe-string and join a hands-on workshop designed to teach you how to take fantastic photos for either web or traditional mediums.
Tourism Victoria’s Tourism Masterclass is your opportunity to keep up with fast moving marketing trends and share ideas and practices with your industry colleagues.
For further information contact Jodie Stevens, Manager Corporate Marketing, on 9653 9848 or email
Australian Gourmet Traveller Travel Awards 2008
Tourism Victoria congratulates the team at Daylesford’s Lake House and Salus Spa which won the best spa/health resort award at the second annual Australian Gourmet Traveller Travel Awards.
The state-of-the-art Salus Spa, is surrounded by waterfall fed streams and offers nine treatment areas from idyllic hot mineral water tubs suspended in tree houses overlooking the lake to a couple’s room with an open fire perfect during the highland winter.
Nestled on the shores of Lake Daylesford, the Spa offers the latest in spa treatments and technology with the same hallmarks of outstanding quality and attention to detail that guests had come to expect from the Lake House’s Small Luxury hotel, renowned award-winning cuisine and formidable wine cellar.
Grade 5 student are encouraged to take advantage of Victoria’s magnificent mountains this snow season with their free Grade 5 Alpine Pass. The Alpine Junior Rangers Grade 5 Alpine Pass entitles Victorian grade 5 students to free* skiing and snow play with the purchase of an adult lift ticket or ski lesson for the same day.
The passes are valid for the 2008 winter season at five of Victoria’s premier mountain resorts: Mount Baw Baw, Mt Hotham, Mt Buller, Falls Creek and Lake Mountain.
The program is run through Victorian primary schools and teachers can order passes from http://www.alpinejuniorrangers.com.au
* Grade 5 Alpine Pass must be validated by the school with a Victorian school stamp and the name of the student written on the pass. The Alpine Pass is not valid in conjunction with any other offer.
VTIC Quarterly Industry Forum
Victoria is blessed with natural assets like the Great Ocean Road, the High Country, Gippsland and the Grampians.
The Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) in association with Tourism Victoria and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre invites you to join a discussion by some of the State’s leading experts on Nature based tourism next month.
Taking place on Tuesday 8 July at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre at Southbank experts will explore a range of topics including what is the value of nature based tourism, what attracts investment in nature based tourism and Victoria’s competitiveness in the market place compared to other places.
Federation Square has become the new ‘face’ of Melbourne.
The architectural icon on the edge of the Yarra River and across the road from Flinders Street Station has quickly grown in stature since it opened in October 2002.
Federation Square’s unique position, nature and design has won the hearts of most Melburnians and millions of visitors every year.
The Square has created a new arts and cultural focus for Melbourne bringing together a creative mix of attractions including leading-edge galleries, cinemas, award-winning restaurants, cafés and bars, events and festivals and grand public open spaces embraced by some of the most unique and striking architecture in the world.
It has created a new heart for the city and a gathering place for locals and visitors.
Federation Square attracts more than 8 million visits a year, making it one of Victoria’s most popular tourist attractions.
However the task of improving the visitor experience at Federation Square is complicated by the fact that the experience is delivered by over 35 organisations and commercial tenants, over which Federation Square Management has limited control.
Read how one of Melbourne's major tourism attractions uses research to identify key issues and to subsequently improve its visitor experience.
