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visitvictoria.com FAQs

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If the below list of Frequently Asked Questions does not answer your question, please contact the Support Desk on 1300 306 366 or .

Q. How much does it cost to register?
Q. How do I login if I have forgotten my username or password?
Q. How do I create a listing that was included in my membership with a Local or Regional Tourism Organisation?
Q. How long will it take for my listing or changes to appear on the website?
Q. How can I find my listing when it’s published?
Q. What is the difference between an editorial page and a product listing?
Q. How do I register for the accreditation discount on visitvictoria.com?
Q. How do I register for a FREE Not-for-Profit listing on visitvictoria.com?
Q. Which tourism products are eligible to list on visitvictoria.com?
Q. How should I manage TripAdvisor reviews?
Q. I'm experiencing technical problems and cannot login. What should I do?

Q. How much does it cost to register?

A. There is an annual fee of $250 incl.GST per business listing.

Businesses accredited through the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program pay a discounted annual fee of $100 incl. GST. More information on how to become accredited.

Events and Not for Profit organisations may register at no charge.

Q. How do I login if I have forgotten my username or password?

A. If you do not remember your password, click on the password reminder button on the login page of my.visitvictoria.com and follow the prompts.

Q. How do I create a listing that was included in my membership with a Local or Regional Tourism Organisation?

A. To register and create a new listing that was included in a membership with a Local or Regional Tourism Organisation please follow the steps below:

  1. Go to http://my.visitvictoria.com/register
  2. Watch the Operator Tutorial video to learn how to use the system
  3. Register as a new user by pressing the 'Register' button on the left hand column. Follow the instructions on the screen and enter your business details as required.
  4. Please ensure you select "Payment via RCC Prospectus" at the end of the sign-up process. We will then process the payment you have made to your Local or Regional Tourism Organisation. You will not be required to pay any extra amount. Please do not pay by credit card.
  5. We will review and publish your listing as soon as possible (usually 1-2 business days).

Things to have ready:

  • A description of your business or event
  • Images
  • Additional information such as tariffs, facilities, activities and contact details. 

Q. How long will it take for my listing to appear on the website?

A. New listings and changes to existing listings will take approximately 1-2 business days to be published on the site.

Each listing goes through our Quality Assurance (QA) process before being published. This ensures all listing information is grammatically correct and is displaying properly.

Q. How can I find my listing when it’s published?

A. There are multiple ways to find your listing:

  • All listings can be found using the Quick Search at the top right corner of every page, by searching the business name or keywords.
  • Listings can also be found using the search tab on the left hand navigation.
  • Listing are also dynamically linked on the sites navigation.

Keep in mind that approximately 70% of visitors to visitvictoria.com come to the site via search engines such as Google. Therefore, it is important to have relevant keywords in your listing title and description.

Q. What is the difference between an editorial page and a product listing?

A. Editorial pages are created and managed by Tourism Victoria staff and generally contain motivational and destination information broken up into regions, categories and assorted special features.

Your product listing page is managed by you and is automatically linked to editorial pages according to your business category and region.

If you think your business should appear on an editorial page that it isn’t currently on, please contact the Support Desk. You are welcome to request to be added to an Editorial page, however this is a request only and the final decision lies with Tourism Victoria.

Q. How do I register for the accreditation discount on visitvictoria.com?

A. You may receive the accreditation discount by supplying proof of your accreditation with one of the following programs:

  • Australian Tourism Accreditation Program (ATAP)
  • Ecotourism Certified
  • Australian Camps Association (ACA)
  • Camping and Recreational Vehicle Association (CRVA)
  • Museum Australia (MAVIC)

If your tourism product is accredited please select the appropriate accreditation type when registering your business at my.visitvictoria.com/register. Once your accreditation status has been verified you will then be able to activate your registration and create your listing.

Q. How do I register for a FREE Not-for-Profit listing on visitvictoria.com?

A. To be eligible for the Not for Profit discount you must supply proof of the organisations Not for Profit status such as a letter from the Australian Tax Office.

To register your Not for Profit organisation go to my.visitvictoria.com/register, click the ‘Register’ button, then tick the ‘Yes’ box next to the ‘Not for Profit Organisation?’ section.

Please forward proof of your Not for Profit status to the . Once your Not for Profit status has been verified you will then be able to activate your registration and create your listing.

Q. Which tourism products are eligible to list on visitvictoria.com?

A. Tourism products that list on visitvictoria must provide a direct service or experience to the leisure tourist and operate within one of the following categories:

  • Accommodation
  • Attractions
  • Events
  • Tour
  • Hire
  • Transport
  • Information Services

For further information about what businesses can list on visitvictoria please read the ATDW Operator Listing Guidelines.

Accommodation

An accommodation establishment is a place offering accommodation for leisure tourists. The accommodation business must cater for the leisure-tourism market and provide accommodation that is bookable on a nightly, weekly, mid-week or weekend basis. Those businesses offering properties at more than one location/physical address, must take out individual listings for each property (unless operating as an accommodation booking service).

All accommodation properties must be categorised into one of the following categories:

  • Apartments
  • Backpackers and Hostels
  • Bed and Breakfasts
  • Booking Services (Note: not accepted by ATDW)
  • Cabins and Cottages
  • Caravan and Camping
  • Farm Stays
  • Holiday Houses
  • Hotels
  • Houseboats
  • Motels
  • Resorts
  • Retreats
  • Self Contained

Attractions

A tourist attraction is a particular place/area of interest to a leisure tourist and:

  • Is static and has a distinct boundary
  • Offers a unique, distinct experience reflecting the area in which it is located
  • Is open/accessible most days of the year, with regular opening/access hours
  • Can be free to enter or have an admission fee

This category also includes restaurants and retail outlets where leisure-tourism forms a significant part of the business.

All attractions must be categorised into one of following categories:

  • Amusement and Theme Parks
  • Dining and Eating out
  • Entertainment
  • Farming, Food and Produce
  • Galleries, Museums and Collections
  • Historical Sites and Heritage Locations
  • Landmarks and Buildings
  • Markets
  • Mining and Industry
  • National Parks and Reserves
  • Parks and Gardens
  • Scenic Drives and walks
  • Science and Technology
  • Shopping
  • Spas and Retreats
  • Sports and Recreation Facilities
  • Wineries, Vineyards and Breweries

Events

A tourism event is a happening that occurs in a specified timeframe (has a set start and end date). They must be relevant to the leisure tourism market and attract visitation at a local, region or state level. Business events such as conventions or trade fairs are not accepted.

All events must be categorised into one of the following categories:

  • Exhibitions and Shows
  • Festivals and Celebrations
  • Markets
  • Performances
  • Sporting Events

Tour

A tour company offers regular organised excursions with scheduled departures, a personal guide or host and commentary. It may vary in duration from less than a day to one day or extended touring. It may also include tourist tuition providers such as surfing schools, sailing schools, wine appreciation classes at a vineyard. Tourist tuition businesses must provide a leisure-tourism experience of significant appeal to tourists.

All tour companies must be categorised into one of the following categories:

  • Extended
  • Full day
  • Half day or less
  • Night
  • Tailored

Hire

A hire company provides products or services that are hired for a specific period of time and can be used/operated by the leisure tourist. Hire operators offering products/services relating to party hire, wedding hire, catering, business hire etc are not eligible.

All hire companies must be categorised into one of the following categories:

  • Bicycles
  • Boats
  • Campervans and Motorhomes
  • Cars
  • Equipment
  • Fourwheel Drives
  • Houseboats
  • Minibuses and Coaches
  • Motorcycles
  • Yachts

Transport

A transport company provides point to point travel / transfers for the leisure tourist.

All transport companies must be categorised into one of the following categories:

  • Air services
  • Coach services
  • Ferry services
  • Rail services
  • Transfers

Information Services

Information on visitor services including airports, cruise terminals, national operators or visitor information centres (VICs).

Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW)

The Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) is the national platform for digital tourism information on Australia.

The ATDW system is a central distribution and storage facility for tourism industry product and destination information from all Australian States and Territories. This content is compiled in a nationally agreed format and is electronically accessible by tourism business owners (operators), wholesalers, retailers and distributors for use in their websites and booking systems. Source: www.atdw.com.au

Q. How should I manage TripAdvisor reviews?

A. Tripadvisor remains the most visited online tourism community with more than one million unique visitors every day. It is likely your business has received a review, so it is important to monitor feedback about your business on the site and embrace this user-generated content to turn it to your advantage.

Here are some tips for responding to feedback:

  • Be nice. You aren’t going to win an argument with a frustrated customer. Even customers who initially had a bad experience might come back.
  • Be polite and professional. You’re responding to one person, but the response is public. Keep your responses useful, readable, and courteous.
  • Don’t get personal. Remember that you’re replying to feedback about an experience, not about you as a person.
  • Feedback is helpful. Both positive and negative feedback can be good for your business and help it grow (even though it’s sometimes hard to hear).
  • Keep it short and sweet. Users are looking for genuine responses, but not necessarily novels. Don’t say in 20 words what you can say in ten.
  • Be thankful. A customer who has written a review has taken the time to invest in the success of your business.
  • Respond to happy reviewers. When you have new or relevant information to share. You don’t need to thank every reviewer publicly. One response reaches to lots of customers, not just one.
  • Be a friend, not a salesperson. Your reviewers are already customers, so there’s no need to offer incentives or advertisements. Tell reviewers something new about your business. Share a tip or something they might not know from their first visit.
  • Check the review is legitimate. If you have a feeling that the review is suspicious, contact Tripadvisor.

Tourism Victoria has put together 10 eKit tutorials covering Facebook, Tripadvisor and how to respond to online reviews. View the Social Media Tutorials here.

Q. I'm experiencing technical problems and cannot login. What should I do?

A. my.visitvictoria.com is compatible with a number of browsers including Internet Explorer 7 and above, Firefox and Safari.

To reduce the chance of technical problems, we suggest updating your Internet Browser to the latest version:
Update Internet Explorer
Update Firefox
Update Safari

Sometimes internet browsers like Internet Explorer have automatic settings that stop you logging in. To fix this is quite straight forward, just follow these steps:

  • Ensure Java Script is turned on on your internet browser:
    1. Internet Explorer - On the Tools menu, click Internet Options, and then click the Security tab.
    2. Click the Internet zone.
    3. If you do not have to customize your Internet security settings, click Default Level. Then do step 4
      • If you have to customize your Internet security settings, follow these steps:
      • Click Custom Level.
      • In the Security Settings – Internet Zone dialog box, click Enable for Active Scripting in the Scripting section.
    4. Click the Back button to return to the previous page, and then click the Refresh button to run scripts. More Information
  • Try refreshing your webpage by pressing the refresh button at the right of the address bar (the green arrows), or by pressing the F5 button on your keyboard, or by selecting the View menu and then selecting Refresh.
  • Try closing Internet Explorer and opening it again. If you are still having trouble, go to the next step.
  • You may need to change the settings of your Temporary Internet Files, to do this:
    • Select the Tools menu
    • Select the General Tab on the far left
    • Select Settings in Browsing History
    • Make sure there is a green dot in the first option “Every time I visit the webpage”
    • Click OK
    • Click OK
    • Refresh your webpage. Close and open Internet Explorer.
    • If you are still having trouble, go to the next step.
  • You may need to delete Cookies, to do this:
    • Select the Tools menu
    • Select the General Tab on the far left
    • Select Delete in Browsing History
    • Make sure there is a green tick next to Cookies, and all others are blank.
    • Click OK
    • Click OK
    • Refresh your webpage. Close and open Internet Explorer.
    • If you are still having trouble, go to the next step.
  • As a last resort you may need to delete all Temporary Internet Files:
    • Select the Tools menu
    • Select the General Tab on the far left
    • Select Delete in Browsing History
    • Make sure there is a green tick next to Temporary Internet Files, History, Form Data, Passwords and InPrivate Filtering data.
    • ** Please note, make sure you write down any saved passwords for other internet sites before deleting passwords. **
    • Click OK
    • Click OK
    • Refresh your webpage. Close and open Internet Explorer.
  • If these steps do not fix the problem please contact the Support Desk on 1300 306 366 for further assistance.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 November 2011 )