Regional dispersal becomes focus for Tourism Victoria

The state “completely smashed” UK visitor numbers, with an increase of 15.6% arrivals for the year ending December 2015, said Claire Golding, UK and European director for Tourism Victoria, outrunning its neighbours.

While UK visitor numbers are strong, Golding said that the tourism board’s “biggest challenge” is regional dispersal.

Talking to TTG at Australian Tourism Exchange 2016 (ATE) in the Gold Coast, Queensland, yesterday, Golding said she hoped a focus on road trips would help encourage visitors to experience Victoria’s more rural and nature-based attractions.

“[Our] focus is on a road trip strategy, and that’s starting to get good traction,” she said. “We’re a compact state – we’re not talking about great long drives.”

To help deliver the message, Golding said the tourism board needs to further educate and then enlist the help of agents.

“More self-drive is being featured in programmes,” she noted. “And the trade is now starting to take that on board.”

The Great Southern Touring Route is one of the state’s most popular products, and Golding hopes that a rebrand of the Southeast Touring Triangle (to Go Beyond Melbourne) will encourage more interest.

As well as self-drive, Tourism Victoria also wants to promote road trip products such as escorted touring.

Golding said the UK’s recession has proved an unexpected boon for Victoria. “When we went through the Global Financial Crisis people still travelled but it stopped them from trying to do three or four states in one visit - and we won a little bit.”

On a broader scale she added that the market is looking buoyant. “From a UK perspective we’re very excited,” she said. “The market’s come back a little, [perhaps] off the back of safety aspects elsewhere. Brits have genuinely fallen in love with Australia again.”

As of July 1 the tourism board will rebrand from Tourism Victoria to Visit Victoria, moving one step away from being a governmental organisation, Golding said.