Our ‘personal places’ to lure tourism millions

Andrew Mathieson
A NEW interactive tourism campaign could be worth $50 to $100 million a year to the Geelong region, latest research figures reveal.
Tourism Australia launched its internet campaign last week, asking residents of the region to spread the word about their favourite spots close to home.
The new $4 million marketing ploy aims to attract more international tourists to smaller destinations outside capital cities and major tourism centres.
Geelong Otway Tourism estimates that visitors to Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast contribute about $1 billion annually to the economy.
Executive director Roger Grant believed individuals promoting their own hidden getaways could have unmatched potential to bring more tourists to the region.
“If we can get a boost on that expenditure of five to ten per cent, it would mean big dollars and those big dollars will mean jobs,” Mr Grant said.
“They are not unrealistic aims – and we are not being crazy.”
Mr Grant said Geelong Otway Tourism also intended to distribute hundreds of local clips on You Tube and other social media networks to lure “experience seekers”.
“People universally are growing more sceptical of advertising, so what they’re after are different ways of getting more-authentic information and part of that is the advice of a local,” he said.