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General News

5 January, 2023

Tourism on the rebound post COVID lockdowns

New data comparing tourism visitation and spend from 2019 to 2022 shows the Bendigo-Loddon region, which includes the Central Goldfields Shire, is ahead of the pack in terms of recovery. Released by Tourism Research Australia last month, the dat...

By Riley Upton

Tourism on the rebound post COVID lockdowns - feature photo

New data comparing tourism visitation and spend from 2019 to 2022 shows the Bendigo-Loddon region, which includes the Central Goldfields Shire, is ahead of the pack in terms of recovery.

Released by Tourism Research Australia last month, the data measures tourism recovery by comparing data from before and after the pandemic, showing the region has performed better than the regional Victorian average, with recovery recorded in all areas.

For the year ending September 2022, day trips to the region were down by 378,000 compared to the year ending September 2019, however expenditure grew to $376 million, an increase of 14 percent compared to 2019.

For domestic overnight stays, Bendigo-Loddon welcomed 1.26 million visitors in the 12 months to September 2022, just shy of 2019’s 1.3 million visitors.

Central Goldfields Shire mayor Grace La Vella said the figures were promising, with tourism expenditure critical to local businesses.

“The spend in our local economy is critical to local jobs and given people aren’t travelling distances, they’re staying within the rural environment because of the open space and freedom it provides,” she said.

“That is critical to our small businesses and hospitality in general, including our eateries,
accommodation and tourism-based businesses.

“If those businesses do well, it further enhances our economic development here which is something we’re working on as we speak.”

With the Maryborough Railway Station Activation project and redevelopment of the Central Goldfields Art Gallery, among other projects, well underway Cr La Vella said local attractions would become world-renowned.

“The visitor economy is a place-centred concept and that’s focused on the whole environment which includes visitors and locals interacting,” she said.

“The station and art gallery, with all the modifications and rebuilds that are happening, they will be at a national and international quality tourism product.

“There will be a lot of curiosity and intrigue around those facilities but in saying that, I don’t think two attractions or venues is enough for a holistic approach to tourism.

“What we’re working on this year is the other things we can utilise and enhance to promote visitation and boost the tourism dollar in our shire.

“We have a lot going on already, a feasibility study is underway for the Castlemaine-Maryborough Rail Trail, works are due to start this year with Bristol Hill and that’s just the start.”

At a state level, Victoria saw 24 million visitors in the year ending September 2022, with a total 71 million nights stayed and $17 billion spent across the state.

A majority of these visitors came to Victoria to holiday, according to Tourism Research Australia, with 8.2 million also visiting friends and relatives.

Cr La Vella said the data shows tourism is picking up again post-pandemic and is a sentiment shared by local business owners.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of people, especially after the recent weekend and providers are saying visitation is increasing more quickly than they expected,” she said.

“Talking to accommodation providers, the tourism dollar is certainly heading our way and I suspect even more so by the end of the year.

“People are looking for their sojourns to be local — they want to get out of the city and locals are looking to discover what’s in their own backyard.”

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