- Published:
- Monday 31 October 2016 at 12:51 pm
The Andrews Labor Government today announced $3.44 million to support planning studies for a range of regional tourism projects to drive visitation and strengthen regional economies.
We’re supporting 26 projects through our $103 million Regional Tourism and Infrastructure Fund (RTIF), which will help projects assess their economic viability and further investigate their potential as a high impact regional tourism initiative.
The projects include nature-based hikes, health and wellness retreats, Aboriginal cultural experiences and outdoor opera performances.
We’ve worked closely with Regional Tourism Boards and local governments to develop a pipeline of more than 300 projects right across Victoria that could be suitable for support through RTIF or other measures.
The pipeline underpins an on-going tourism investment program which includes a range of projects, from well advanced project proposals to promising early ideas.
The visitor economy is crucial to the future economic development of regional and rural Victoria with the sector contributing $11.5 billion to the regional economy and generating 114,400 jobs annually.
The RTIF invests in growing the visitor economy across regional Victoria by facilitating the development of iconic regional tourism projects that create world-class tourism experiences and boost the regional economy.
Three iconic projects have already been funded under RTIF, including the Phillip Island Nature Park redevelopment, implementation of the master plans for the Shipwreck Coast and Budj Bim cultural landscape.
Quote attributable to Minister for Agriculture and Regional Development Jaala Pulford
“We’re accelerating the delivery of investment ready, high impact tourism projects that will help drive visitation to regional Victoria, create jobs and boost the economy.”
Quote attributable to Acting Minister for Tourism and Major Events Phillip Dalidakis
“Regional Victoria has a bright future and that’s why we’re improving critical visitor infrastructure, encouraging private sector investment and supporting the sustainable management of the state’s iconic natural assets.”