Nillumbik Shire Council will enter into a formal partnership with Yarra Ranges Tourism to promote the Shire’s visitor economy.
Council believes that the partnership will help to lift visitor numbers in the Shire, which is estimated to account for just one per cent of Melbourne’s more than 27 million visitors annually.
Nillumbik Mayor Peter Clarke said it was no longer viable for Council to go it alone with an individual tourism strategy, without the active support of a major regional tourism body.
Clarke said Nillumbik’s ‘go it alone’ strategy meant that Council, industry associations, businesses, festival and events had not enjoyed the benefits of being recognised at a state level for advocacy, funding, product development and marketing.
“At present, Nillumbik does not feature on Yarra Ranges Tourism’s promotional material and Visit Victoria marketing materials, so a significant visitor audience is not being made aware of Nillumbik’s tourist features.
“Our Shire has one of the most acclaimed environmental, historic and artistic profiles in the nation, so we have a lot to offer visitors from around Victoria, Australia and indeed internationally,” Clarke said.
Yarra Ranges Tourism is the official Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) for the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges region, which covers the municipalities of Nillumbik, Murrindindi, Yarra Ranges, Casey and Cardinia.
While a member of the RTO since its formation in 2006, Nillumbik has previously not been actively engaged with the organisation other than through the participation of individual businesses.
By joining Yarra Ranges Tourism, Nillumbik is seeking to leverage the audience reach, expertise and promotional strength of the RTO’s visitor marketing strategy.
Chair of the Council’s Economic Development and Marketing Committee, Cr Karen Egan, said tourism was a significant component of the Shire’s economic profile.
“Tourism is the fourth-highest contributor to employment in the Nillumbik Shire, and we believe there is significant opportunity for growth,” Cr Egan said.
“It would be difficult for a visitor to find so much historical and environmental diversity so close to the metropolitan area than what can be found in Nillumbik.
“But first the would-be visitor has to know what’s on offer in the Shire, so that’s why we’ve joined Yarra Ranges Tourism to actively promote our features.”
Yarra Ranges Tourism’s vision is to promote the region to be Victoria’s premier visitor destination for wine, food and indulgent short breaks, complemented by nature-based, cultural and village experiences.
Under the partnership agreement, a new dedicated website will be established to attract visitors to Nillumbik, with content fed to the regional tourism website.
Nillumbik will be provided access to industry networking, training and development and market research opportunities through Yarra Ranges Tourism.
Council will also work with Yarra Ranges Tourism to help develop and promote a viable tourism product in Nillumbik.
