- Published:
- Monday 11 December 2017
New data released today shows more overseas visitors are choosing to spend their time and valuable tourism dollars in Victoria – boosting local businesses and creating jobs across Victoria.
Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren welcomed the latest International Visitor Survey results, which demonstrate how Victoria’s booming tourism industry is paying dividends for Victoria – particularly our regions.
Victoria welcomed 2.8 million international visitors who spent $7.6 billion in the 12 months to September, with growth rates well above the national average for spend and nights.
Holidaymakers in regional Victoria are spending more on wine, gifts and activities – up by 18.6 per cent compared to the national average growth of 7.2 per cent.
Major events like the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Daylesford’s ChillOut Festival and the MotoGP in Phillip Island are keeping visitation strong in the regions.
Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges welcomed more overnight visitors than the year before, boasting an impressive growth of 43.6 per cent.
Other regional hotspots also recorded increases, including the Great Ocean Road (up 10.9 per cent), Victoria’s High Country (up 10.7 per cent), Phillip Island (up 9.1 per cent) and the Mornington Peninsula (up 8.4 per cent).
Chinese visitors continue to lead the charge to Victoria with almost 600,000 visitors in the past year – up by 5.7 per cent.
The Andrews Labor Government has helped fuel this growth, increasing the number of direct airline services from China to Victoria from three to twelve by the end of the year.
The world’s most liveable city recorded growth in international visitation, with expenditure up almost 13 per cent to $7.1 billion in the same period.
The Labor Government will continue working closely with Visit Victoria to grow these numbers and ensure our visitor economy continues to create new jobs and opportunities for local businesses.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren
“Victoria prides itself on being one of the best places to visit in the world, and these results prove we aren’t the only ones who see it.”
“We’re getting it done – backing our tourism operators and delivering the events and infrastructure our regional communities need to welcome more visitors and create more jobs than ever before.”
Quote attributable to Chief Executive of Visit Victoria Peter Bingeman
“Our major markets including China, New Zealand, UK and USA are jetting in daily for business and pleasure, to be part of the global and financial powerhouse that Victoria has become.”