Tourism in focus

Geelong’s tourism industry has continued to grow in the past 12 months, providing up to $728 million to the local economy annually, according to City of Greater Geelong investment and attraction general manager Brett Luxford.
Mr Luxford says the nature of a tourist has changed from the traditional camera-around-the-neck image.
“We’re seeing a lot of growth in international students studying here and being visited by friends and family,” he says.
“We also see a lot of opportunity for corporate travellers and business visitation in Geelong.
“As a service industry it’s a big part of the future of Geelong and offers a real opportunity to capitalise on the growth and visibility of the region.”
Mr Luxford says Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula attract five million visitors annually, with 2.8 million day-trippers and 2.2 million staying a night or longer.
“That’s worth about $728 million to our local economy every year, and contributes to 4700 jobs,” he says.
“Council invests in an ongoing partnership with the industry-driven organisation Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine to deliver marketing, development and investment programs to grow the visitor economy in the region.
“This dedicated tourism services is growing our visitor economy and helping ensure tourism reaches its full potential as a key industry.
“We find visitors often start their journey by discovering and being inspired by the blogs, images and video content on our site visitgeelongbellarine.com.au.”