Victoria’s Grampians region is witnessing surging demand from visitors, making it the one of state’s “most compelling” tourism investment cases.
Grampians Tourism CEO Marc Sleeman said accommodation demand in the region will outstrip the current supply by 2026 as visitor traffic doubles over the next 10 years.
“We have so many pieces of the puzzle in our region — one of Australia’s great long walks, rich Indigenous culture, fabulous food and wine, waterfalls and lakes and the third most visited national park in Victoria,” he said.
The region witnesses 1.7 million visitors per year and records $297m in visitor spend.
“Now we’re looking to build on that by expanding our accommodation offerings — we’d love to see everything from glamping and eco pods to luxury wellness resort-style offerings.”
Grampians Tourism report showed hat some of the government investment in key tourism attractions have seen significant jump in visitor numbers. The investment includes $33m state and federal funding for Grampians Peaks Trail, $7.76m for MacKenzie Falls, $6m for the National Park and Cultural Centre, and $2.7m for the Ararat Hills Mountain Bike Trail Project.
“This report tells us the demand is there and is only going to increase. We have highly supportive local councils, a prime location between Adelaide and Melbourne, a wealth of cultural experiences to share and a region of unique natural beauty,” Mr Sleeman said.
The report identified 15 high priority investment opportunities in the region. These are priority private investment opportunities contained in supporting the Grampians Strategic Tourism Investment Plan. They include the following:
- High-End Eco-Lodge (Ararat Region)
- River-Edge Restaurant & Function Centre (Horsham Region)
- 4-Star Hotel/Resort (Northern Grampians Region)
- Off-Park Lodges Linked to the GPT (Southern Grampians Region)
- Boutique Beverage Distillery (Ararat and Southern Grampians Regions)
- Destination Holiday Park (Horsham and Southern Grampians Regions)
- Indoor Activity Centre (Northern Grampians Region)
- Geothermal Spa Experience (Southern Grampians and Horsham Regions)
- Eco-Pods (Ararat Region and Northern Grampians Region)
- Waterway Electric Houseboats (Northern and Southern Grampians Regions)
- Luxury Accommodation (Southern Grampians Region)
- Mount Zero Resort (Horsham Region)
- Grampians Wine & Produce Discovery Centre (Ararat Region)
- Tourism Aviation Hub (Horsham and Southern Grampians Regions)
- 5-Star Branded Business & Leisure Hotel (Ararat Region)
Mr Sleeman said Grampians Tourism and local government partners can help potential investors with location scouting, planning applications, council liaison, and introductions to key supporters and decision makers.
“We have a five-star natural environment, but we really need a greater diversity of accommodation options to match that,” he said.
“We have seen what’s possible when areas of incredible natural beauty have a wide variety of interesting places to stay and things to do. That’s our ambition for the Grampians and we’re ready to get to work to make it happen.”
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Photo from Grampians Tourism.
