Victoria attracted a record 1.6 million international overnight visitors for the year to September 2010, representing a growth of 6.4 per cent over the same period in 2009. More than a quarter of the total number of international visitors to Australia visited Victoria. International visitors tend to stay longer than domestic visitors. They account for 9 per cent of overnight visitors to Victoria, but 35 per cent of total overnight expenditure. International visitors spend $10.6 million per day on average in the State.

The primary aim of the International Marketing Division is to maintain and increase international visitor number and tourism expenditure to Victoria. The division works with international travel distribution systems to develop marketing campaigns that leverage travel trade and Victorian industry resources.

Tourism Victoria works closely with Tourism Australia, airlines, key travel industry partners and the Victorian tourism industry to promote Victoria internationally to potential visitors. Trade and consumer marketing strategies are developed to assist in achieving increased consumer awareness of Victoria as a premier tourist destination and its brand strength in arts and culture, events, sports and food and wine.

All international marketing activities are managed from Tourism Victoria's head office in Melbourne. The organisation also has offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, China, Hong Kong and represenative offices in Japan, India and Korea.

Consumer Marketing

Tourism Victoria leverages Tourism Australia’s brand activity in all international markets and also undertakes independent brand campaigns where budgets permit. Given the cost of advertising in many markets, targeted public relations and media visit programs are a cost effective method of generating awareness of Victoria as a destination

Tourism Victoria continues to build relevant destination content on visitmelbourne.com and its market and language variants, leading the way with initiatives such as podcasting (an excellent medium to communicate with target audiences) and vod (or video) casting, in the United Kingdom market.

Trade Marketing

Tourism Victoria works closely with Australian-based inbound tour operators, conducting workshops and undertaking sales calls, familiarisations and trade missions. Much of this work is undertaken in partnership with the Australian Tourism Export Council.

Tourism Victoria leads Victorian industry participation at trade and consumer shows and trade missions in primary and secondary markets.Tourism Victoria also undertakes cooperative campaigns in conjunction with the traditional and emerging travel distribution systems and airlines. Tourism Australia and other state and territory tourist offices are financial contributors to many of these. For every dollar that Tourism Victoria spent on these campaigns in 2006–07, more than $3.60 in partnership funding was received.

Sample international marketing activity:

United Kingdom
New Zealand
North America
China
Japan
Singapore