Victoria’s regions

Victorian-made monster movie has the USA going ‘wild’

The success of Victorian-made monster movie Where The Wild Things Are, which took top spot at the US box office with $US32.5 million in its opening weekend, is highlighting the State’s attractiveness as an international film production destination.

The Spike Jonze directed adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book was filmed at 11 city and regional locations in Victoria and at Melbourne Central City Studios.

Innovation Minister Gavin Jennings said Victoria’s diverse range of locations and world-class studios at Docklands made it the ideal destination for this production.

Filming took place at Discovery Bay, in the striking forest setting of Gilwell Park in Gembrook, just an hour from Melbourne, as well as Bushrangers Bay and the spectacular rock formations at Mt Arapiles in the state’s north-west.

Where The Wild Things Are opens in Australia on 3 December. The trailer can be viewed at filmedinmelbourne.com.au/wtwta

Regional bushfire recovery group swings into action

A new cooperative marketing body, the Murrindindi Mitchell Bushfire Tourism Recovery Group (MMBTRG) has been established to attract tourists back to the region after the tragedy of the Black Saturday bushfires.

Thanks to an historic agreement with Tourism Victoria, in conjunction with the Federal and State Governments, special funding has been allocated to the Murrindindi and Mitchell shires to help key townships that depend heavily on tourism, as they rebuild and commence the recovery process.

Over the ensuing months, the group will launch a new website, national consumer awareness campaign, targeted media and online advertising and a domestic and international public relations campaign.

For more information visit watchusgrow.com.au

Victorian Government backs country racing

Country racing participants, spectators, tourists and local communities will benefit from $253,300 in funding to improve facilities at Victorian country racing clubs.

The funding is part of the Victorian Government’s $400,000 Living Country Racing Program (LCRP) to support projects and upgrades at 18 racing venues in regional and rural Victoria.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Racing Rob Hulls said the grants would particularly assist smaller racing venues with limited access to racing industry funds.

Projects include the installation of a track watering system to combat drought, a playground and shade structure to attract families on race days, and a drainage programs to maintain track surface and venue facilities.

“All these projects further demonstrate the Government’s commitment to country racing and to unlocking the value of racing venues in regional and rural Victoria,” Mr Hulls said.

Point Nepean Quarantine Station opens to the public

The former Quarantine Station at Point Nepean will be permanently accessible to the public from next month, offering visitors an open opportunity to discover the history of the site through self-guided tours and explore the area on bike or by foot.

Situated at the tip of the Mornington Peninsula, Point Nepean is the site of two historic, 19th-century landmarks – the fortifications and the quarantine station that defended the Colony of Victoria against disease and foreign attack.

Visitors are encouraged to celebrate the historic opening of the Station at the Community Open Day on Sunday 6 December with free guided tours, kids’ activities, a free commemorative souvenir booklet, free Transporter rides, live entertainment, local produce and Ranger Roo performances.

The Open Day festivities will run from 10am to 5pm, with further information available closer to the event.

Aviation

Viva Macau tempts tourists with cheap airfares

New international air services from low-cost airline Viva Macau will see twice weekly direct flights from Macau to Melbourne, opening up Melbourne to the growing Asian tourism market. 

Tourism and Major Events Minister Tim Holding said securing direct air services to Melbourne was critical to growing Victoria's export sectors, particularly tourism, international education and trade.

The Viva Macau flights will help boost tourism numbers from Macau, Southern China and Hong Kong – with Macau just a 10 minute drive from mainland China and a 40 minute ferry ride from Hong Kong.

In addition to benefiting Chinese visitors the announcement is welcome news for the Victorian tourism industry, with China forecast to be the largest tourism market for Victoria by 2012, overtaking New Zealand.

With the announcement, Viva Macau joins a host of existing carriers to the region including Qantas, Air China, China Southern, Cathay Pacific and China Eastern. Tickets for Viva Macau’s new service are on sale now.

Melbourne Airport posts positive start to financial year

The latest quarterly results have seen Melbourne Airport record growth in both domestic and international passenger numbers in a positive start to the 2009-10 financial year.

Melbourne Airport CEO Chris Woodruff said the first quarter passenger figures, in which overall traffic grew three per cent, were a testament to the resilience of Melbourne as a key tourism and business city. 

The international market performed particularly strongly, increasing by 10 per cent for the quarter, and up 14 per cent from September alone. This has meant that, for the first time, Melbourne Airport has surpassed five million international passengers in a 12 month period.

The domestic market also returned to growth, with a one per cent increase from the same quarter last year.

Melbourne

Melbourne Festival breaks box office records

One of Australia’s premier cultural events, the Melbourne International Arts Festival, has this year recorded its best box office figures in its 24-year history, taking in $2.6 million and attracting almost 330,000 visitors across 76 events.

Arts Minister Lynne Kosky said Melbourne is a city that thrives on cultural expression, artistic invention and meaningful social engagement with the arts, and the International Arts Festival was the sum of all these things.

This year’s bumper program featured artists and works from 26 countries. The festival encompassed a cross-section of artforms from dance to visual arts, opera to theatre, contemporary music and film and included a variety of public events, forums and discussion panels.

Sell-out shows this year included The London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Black Arm Band indigenous music concerts, featuring author Alexis Wright.

Pompeii: Australia’s most popular museum exhibition

Museum Victoria’s historical showcase A Day in Pompeii has become the country’s most successful museum exhibition drawing a total attendance of 325,000 people.

Depicting the daily life of one of the world's most extraordinary cities, A Day in Pompeii combined more than 250 priceless objects which were buried under ash and encased for almost 2000 years.

The exhibition came to a close at the end of October after a successful four-month run which had been extended to cope with demand. The Melbourne Museum also lengthened its operating hours, keeping its doors open from dawn to midnight on the final night.

A Day in Pompeii was the seventh Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, and has become the third most popular in the series, behind The Impressionists and Salvador Dali: Liquid Desire.

Arts Minister Lynne Kosky said the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces had become a cornerstone of Victoria’s annual major events calendar, alongside the Australian Open, the Spring Racing Carnival, and the Boxing Day Test. The celebrated series has attracted two million visitors and injected almost $100 million into the Victorian economy.

Industry

Victorian industries on show to the world

More than 70 million visitors from 200 countries will get a taste of Victorian food and wine, urban design, education, arts and culture at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010.

The event takes place over six months and will attract 38,000 people through its pavilion doors each day, ensuring Victoria’s reputation as a leading destination to live, work, study and invest are recognised on the world stage.

As the Platinum sponsor of the Expo, Victoria will share maximum exposure for the event. The expo includes a dedicated Victoria Week showcasing the strength of Victorian industries and capabilities in key sectors such as manufacturing, design and science.

Minister for Trade and Industry Martin Pakula said the Shanghai World Expo would build on the success of participation in previous World Expos, and open up a range of opportunities for Victorian companies.

Victoria’s appearance at the event will be supplemented by approximately 17 business missions to China in seven key sectors as well as inbound trade delegations from China into Victoria.

The Shanghai World Expo will run from 1 May until 31 October 2010.

BIG4 offers free camping to outdoor seekers

More than 150 BIG4 Holiday Parks will host Australia’s biggest night of free camping at its Come Camp with BIG4 event on Friday 20 November.

The annual event is an ideal introduction to caravanning and camping while providing a boost to regional tourism industries. In 2008, Come Camp with BIG4 attracted more than 10,000 happy campers Australia-wide.

Throughout the weekend, guests can take part in special activities including treasure hunts, face painting, pancake breakfasts and sausage sizzles. All parks will donate a percentage of money raised from the sale of BIG4 memberships sold over the entire weekend to support charity partner, The Humour Foundation’s Clown Doctors.

For more information or to reserve a free powered or unpowered camping site, visit big4.com.au/comecamp

International

North American youth travellers targeted in online campaign

Tourism Victoria and Canadian blogger, Mitch Moffit, have joined forces to launch a unique campaign to attract young North Americans to backpack, study or work in Victoria.

The talented young entertainer visited Melbourne in July and September to experience Melbourne and film a series of videos for use in an online marketing campaign with Qantas Airways and Goway Travel.

The feature video will be a unique street musical showcasing Melbourne locations such as Federation Square, Centre Place, Carlton Gardens and The Butterfly Club, in a bid to inspire other visitors to explore Victoria’s diverse cultural offerings.

The footage will be posted on YouTube and on Mitch’s blog following the campaign’s official launch in the United States and Canada this month.

Campaigns

Uncover the Mornington and Bellarine’s underwater worlds

A $500,000 support package from the Victorian Government will go towards a new tourism marketing campaign for the Mornington and Bellarine Peninsulas.

Funding will go towards public relations and branding activities for the Mornington Peninsula, Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale, as well as print and online advertising to support local tourism operators – including marine-based operations.

The campaign news follows the conclusion of the Channel Deepening Project (CDP) in Port Phillip Bay.

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

Additional Tourism Victoria campaigns in market from 9 November include:

Melbourne – continuing spring campaign and outdoor advertising activity.
High Country – Falls Creek Villages promotion in RoyalAuto supported by additional advertising in Herald Sun, The Age, Daily Advertiser (Wagga), Border Mail (Albury), and Canberra Times. Online activity to include Total Travel website placement.
Gippsland – print advertising in Leader newspapers.
The Murray – tactical print advertising in Sunday Herald Sun, Geelong Advertiser and The Age.
Daylesford – print advertising in Sydney Morning Herald, Sunday Life, The Age, Sydney Magazine, Adelaide Magazine and Good Weekend

What’s on

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

• Pitch It To Me media training, 11 November, Melbourne
• Victorian Tourism Awards Gala, 16 November
• Victoria’s International Exchange, 30 November, Melbourne