Victoria ’s regions

New guide to help tourism operators this bushfire season

The Victorian Government has launched the Crisis Essentials guide for tourism businesses to assist in preparing, responding and recovering from events like bushfires.

Launched during Fire Action Week, the guide was developed to inform tourism operators about how to protect their business in the event of a crisis. The publication includes advice on risk management; developing a plan; communicating to customers; and ensuring business continuity following an emergency.

The guide will be available to all Victorian tourism businesses ahead of the approaching fire season and will be supported by a series of briefings and workshops for tourism businesses located in high fire risk areas.

Tourism Victoria will also commence a campaign this summer aimed at raising visitor awareness of the bushfire safety risks in Victoria and understanding of what they need to consider when planning a holiday in high-risk bushfire areas.

The Crisis Essentials guide will support the more comprehensive Open for Business crisis management publication which will be available in late October. Download a copy of the Crisis Essentials guide at tourism.vic.gov.au

Alpine committees to plan for the future

A new Alpine Advisory Committee will set the management direction of the Greater Alpine National Parks for the next decade and beyond.

The 16-member committee will assist in developing a new Greater Alpine National Parks Management Plan, with specialist advice from the Victorian Alpine Traditional Owner Reference Group, Environment and Scientific Advisory Group and the soon-to-be-convened Recreation and Tourism Advisory Group.

The Victorian Government is also considering applications from people wishing to serve on the Alpine Resorts Coordinating Council and Victoria’s Alpine Resort Management Boards. 

Alpine Resort Management Boards act as committees of management with responsibilities including land stewardship, promotion, marketing, and the provision of a wide range of services. The Alpine Resorts Coordinating Council provides strategic advice, coordinates overall promotion and attracts investment. 

Members will be selected on their skills and experience in areas relevant to Alpine resort management such as tourism and recreation, public policy, land stewardship and protected area management.

Discover comfort in undiscovered places

Parks Victoria has this month launched a new marketing campaign showcasing Wilderness Retreats as a luxury accommodation option for those wanting to experience nature with all of their creature comforts.

Located at Wilsons Promontory National Park, Cape Conran Coastal Park and Buchan Caves, the Wilderness Retreats offer visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature while staying in high comfort, low impact, safari-style tents.

Using the tagline, Discover Comfort in Undiscovered Places, the campaign presents Wilderness Retreats as an alternative accommodation option for the high-yield, double-income-no-kids, ‘Comfort in Nature’ target market.

For more information, visit the new Wilderness Retreat website at parkweb.vic.gov.au/wildernessretreats/

Regional rail smashes all-time patronage record

More people than ever are using the V/Line network with a record 12 million trips made on the system in the past financial year, an increase of 9.5 per cent, as regional rail continues to attract growing numbers of passengers.

Recent track and station upgrades, new trains, reduced fares and increased services to major regional centres have helped to support growing regional communities while ensuring passengers stay better connected.

Over the past financial year, the Gippsland line experienced the biggest increase with patronage up 15 per cent. Patronage on the Bendigo line was up 9.8 per cent, the Geelong line was up 9.5 per cent, while the Ballarat line increased 12 per cent. 

More than 1 million trips are made on the V/Line network every month.

Melbourne

Burton, Beetlejuice and Batman headed to Melbourne

Hollywood is headed for Melbourne in 2010 with Premier John Brumby announcing that Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) will host Tim Burton, a major retrospective of the work by the famed Hollywood director, as part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series.

Best known for his work on modern-day cult-classic films such as Beetlejuice, Batman, and Edward Scissorhands, the exhibition will explore Tim Burton’s entire career as a director, artist, illustrator, writer and photographer.

The showcase brings together over 700 examples of rarely or never-before-seen artworks and objects and will be accompanied by an extensive public program and a retrospective of films.

The Australian exclusive exhibition will travel to Melbourne direct from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, with ACMI being one of only three locations in the world to host the exhibition.

The retrospective is expected to be another blockbuster for the highly successful Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, which has attracted over two million people and injected more than $100 million into the Victorian economy since its launch in 2004.

Tim Burton will be on at ACMI, Federation Square from 24 June through to 10 October 2010.

2011 Presidents Cup adds another notch to Melbourne’s sandbelt

Melbourne’s reputation as the golf events capital of Australia will be strengthened when it hosts the next Presidents Cup, one of golf’s most prestigious and eagerly anticipated biannual events.

The event, which is broadcast to 275 million households worldwide, will help strengthen Melbourne’s reputation as the golf events capital of Australia as well as one of the world’s great golfing tourism destinations.

In addition to highlighting Melbourne and Victoria’s tourism offerings to a global audience, the 2011 Presidents Cup is expected to attract between 5000 and 6000 visitors and generate over $16 million in economic benefit for Victoria. In 1998, the Presidents Cup generated $11 million.

Earlier this month, Premier John Brumby joined past and present world leaders and golf legends to officially open the 2009 Presidents Cup golf tournament at the Harding Park course in San Francisco.

Golf fans were given a taste of Australia when Tourism Victoria gave delighted spectators the chance to hold, and have their photograph taken with, two joeys and a wallaby. Attendees were also privy to an interactive display featuring Melbourne’s sandbelt, the Royal Melbourne Golf Course, and regional Victorian highlights such as the Great Ocean Road and the Yarra Valley.

The 2011 Presidents Cup will be held at Royal Melbourne Golf Club from 14–20 November.

Melbourne gifts iconic symbol to San Francisco

The Victorian Government has gifted one of Melbourne’s iconic W-Class trams to San Francisco to run on the bay city’s heritage streetcar service.

Like Melbourne, San Francisco is a city connected by its tram and light-rail services catering for commuters and tourists. The number 916 tram will now join another W-Class tram on the popular F Line service under an agreement that will see both trams operate for at least three years.

Premier John Brumby said both W-Class trams would be used to highlight the tourist attractions of Victoria and Melbourne and would prove to be a moving billboard for the state.

“The donation of this tram offers tourists and San Francisco locals a taste of Melbourne, showcasing our numerous attractions,” he said.

In 1983 Victoria donated its first W-Class tram to San Francisco for the Historic Trolley Festival and the popularity of the festival led to the construction of the F Line which is now the busiest transit line in the USA carrying almost 9 million commuters annually.

The first W-Class tram has already been used for a range of promotional activities for Victoria including the recent G’Day USA 2009 show.

World class hockey showdown attracts thousands

Melbourne’s State Hockey Centre is gearing up to host hockey teams and fans from around the world when the ABN AMRO Hockey Champions Trophy hits town from 28 November to 6 December.

The nine-day tournament will see the top six internationally ranked men’s hockey teams battle it out for the prestigious Trophy and world ranking points. Teams competing include Germany, Spain, England, Korea, the Netherlands and Australia.

As the premier event on the 2009 international hockey calendar, the tournament promises to be the biggest hockey event Australia has ever hosted outside of the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.

“Victorians love their sport and this year’s ABN AMRO Hockey Champions Trophy promises to be another world-class addition to our renowned sporting calendar,” said Sport Minister, James Merlino.

Excellent ticket pre-sales indicate that the tournament will be a sell-out, creating a superb atmosphere at the venue. More than 25,000 hockey fans from Europe, Asia and Australia are expected to attend the event with more than 12,500 passes already sold, including more than half to interstate and international fans.

Federal Government initiatives

Heritage investment preserves tourism attractions and jobs

The Australian Government will inject $12.2 million to fund a raft of heritage conservation projects around Victoria as part of the $650 million Jobs Fund. The projects are expected to create around 722 jobs while preserving some of the state’s much-loved tourism heritage sites.

Funding includes $2 million for important conservation work at Melbourne’s World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building, which remains one of Victoria’s major tourist attractions with 335,000 visitors over 2007 and 2008.

Making the announcement last week, Federal Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett said that visitor traffic was taking its toll on the site, making it necessary to act to conserve the building’s high impact areas.

Conservation work will also be undertaken at Barwon Park in Winchelsea, Yarra Valley’s Gulf Station, and the Bonegilla Migrant Experience Heritage Park at Wodonga, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sites as cultural tourism destinations.

Industry

Tourism Australia appoints new Managing Director

Tourism Australia has named Andrew McEvoy as its new Managing Director.

Currently Chief Executive of the South Australian Tourism Commission, and a former Tourism Australia Executive, Mr McEvoy brings with him a wealth of experience in the tourism industry. He has previously held senior management positions with the Melbourne Convention Bureau, Ballarat Tourism and Tourism Victoria, following a career in journalism.

Making the announcement last week, Executive Chairman Rick Allert said Mr McEvoy was returning to Tourism Australia at a time of great challenge and opportunity for the industry.

“Having worked across regional, state and national tourism bodies Andrew understands and is committed to the vital partnerships that ensure not only efficiencies in the way we market, but also in the services and insights we deliver to our industry,” Mr Allert said.

Mr McEvoy will take up his role at Tourism Australia in January 2010.

New Tourism Awards partnership, Judges’ Retreat

The Melbourne Airport 2009 Victorian Tourism Awards team welcomes Citadines Melbourne on Bourke – Ascott International as a new Bronze partner.

Citadines Melbourne on Bourke’s sponsorship of the New Tourism Development award coincides with the scheduled opening of the hotel in the second half of 2010.

The $136.2 million, 380-room serviced residence will be situated in the heart of the Melbourne CBD, making it the first Citadines in Australia and the flagship property for the Singapore-based Ascott Group.

Click here for more information about Citadines Melbourne on Bourke.

In other Awards news, the annual Victorian Tourism Awards Judges’ Retreat was recently held at Flowerdale Estate in the scenic Goulburn Valley region.

Over five days a panel of 19 judges and an independent auditor deliberated over more than 100 awards submissions.

The Melbourne Airport 2009 Victorian Tourism Awards entrants and placegetters will be announced at the annual Gala Ceremony on Monday 16 November.

Tourism Victoria’s latest annual report released

The Tourism Victoria Annual Report 2008-09 is now available to the public.

The report provides in-depth coverage of Tourism Victoria’s actions in the last financial year, including marketing activities, research statistics, industry developments and financial reporting.

The report was tabled in Victorian Parliament last Thursday and can now be viewed online at tourism.vic.gov.au.

National tourism body to highlight exceptional individuals

The National Tourism Alliance (NTA) is calling for nominations for the National Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual.

The award aims to recognise an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary personal and professional achievement, and a contribution over many years to the Australian tourism industry.

Nominations can be made by any person except the nominee. Entries must be received on Friday 6 November 2009.

Nominations can be emailed to or sent to:

Nicole Sheridan
Project Manager
Qantas Australian Tourism Awards
Level 3, 309 Pitt St
Sydney NSW 2000

The winner will be announced at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards ceremony on Friday 26 February 2010 in Hobart.

Media & trade visits

Tourism Victoria continues to support tourism operators across the state by coordinating visits (‘familiarisations’) for Australian and international media and the travel trade.

Fox Sports golf familiarisation tees off

Sports journalist, Andy Withers visited the lush green fairways of Victoria’s spectacular bay and peninsula golf courses earlier this month, ahead of the impressive line-up of major golfing events scheduled for the state.

The five-day visit included a round at the 18-hole open course at Peppers Moonah Links in Rye, which was specifically designed to challenge players in the Australian Open. The site, which features a stylish 96-room resort and a brand new Endota day spa, also houses the Australian Golf Museum and Hall Of Fame which are expected to be key attractions at Moonah Links in future.

The itinerary also incorporated visits to The Dunes Golf Links and Flinders Golf Club, both set amidst spectacular coastal and hillside landscapes, as well as the Portsea and Eagle Ridge Golf Clubs which are accessible for public and corporate bookings.

Campaigns

Be inspired by Gippsland

Tourism Victoria is motivating consumers to seek inspiration this spring from Gippsland’s idyllic natural landscapes in a series of online advertisements.

The campaign leverages the region’s stunning national parks, unspoiled coastline and diverse nature-based experiences which are ideal to visit during the spring season.

Prospective visitors are invited to enjoy a picture perfect getaway along the Bass Coast – taking in the George Bass Coastal Walk, Bass Coast Rail Trail, and the scenic towns of Inverloch and Wonthaggi.

East Gippsland is also presented as a magical destination, with visitors encouraged to take advantage of the abundant land and water-based outdoor activities from horseback riding and sailing to cycling the East Gippsland Rail Trail.

The online campaign will take place until the end of October incorporating sponsorship of BigPond Travel, advertising on takeabreak.com.au, electronic direct mailouts, and a Google Adwords campaign.

Additional Tourism Victoria campaigns scheduled to take place over the next fortnight include:

Mornington and Bellarine Peninsulas – print advertisements in The Age and Sunday Herald Sun, and online activity in Fishing World, Herald Sun online, schoolgetaways.com.au and underwater.com.au.
High Country – continued advertising in My Australia Magazine.
Gippsland – Metung Villages campaign advertising in mX and RoyalAuto, and online activity focusing on East Gippsland.
Daylesford – continued print advertising in women’s lifestyle and foodie magazines.
Australian Open – national trade marketing throughout October with Virgin Blue and Blue Holidays online and on subscription television.
Melbourne Spring Campaign – continued television advertising in conjunction with online activity, cinema advertising, and outdoor citylite and metrolite panels. Print advertorials and inserts in fashion magazines and newspapers.

What’s on

Victorian Tourism Awards gala sold out

Victorian tourism industry’s night of nights, the annual Victorian Tourism Awards gala, has sold out four weeks ahead of the event due to popular demand.

Event seating was allocated on a ‘first in best dressed’ basis, with attendees prompted to book in early to avoid disappointment.

Date: Monday 16 November 2009
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: The Palladium at Crown
Dress: Black tie

For more information about the Melbourne Airport 2009 Victorian Tourism Awards go to victoriantourismawards.com

Registrations open for Victoria’s International Exchange

Registrations are now open for Victoria’s International Exchange (VIE) on 30 November.

VIE is a valuable opportunity for industry representatives and Tourism Victoria’s overseas-based Regional Managers to discuss trends and opportunities in the international marketplace.

This event is a must for all tourism operators who are active in international markets.

Date: Monday 30 November
Venue: Hilton on the park
Cost: $230 for the first company delegate; $180 for additional delegates

For further information and to register visit tourism.vic.gov.au/vie

Upcoming events:

• Melbourne Spa business development workshop, 28 October, Melbourne
• Adventure & Backpacker Industry Conference, 5 November, Sydney
• Pitch It To Me media training, 11 November, Melbourne
• Victorian Tourism Awards Gala, 16 November
• Victoria’s International Exchange, 30 November, Melbourne