#GeelongCounts

A PIECE OF THE JIGSAW IS MISSING!

Where do you think Geelong and The Bellarine fits within Tourism Victoria’s jigsaw?  The state government tourism authority tells us we must be part of the Great Ocean Road, that it will not support an independent Geelong and The Bellarine Regional Tourism Board.

Right now, the State Government is contributing ZERO dollars to the regional tourism body charged with the development and promotion of tourism in the Greater Geelong region.

A lengthy process of tourism industry restructure across the region has seen the development of a Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism board and the State is trying to stick Geelong and The Bellarine into that piece of the jigsaw where it clearly doesn’t belong.  Will Tourism Victoria also shove Phillip Island and Mornington Peninsula into the Gippsland campaign?  That’s essentially what they’re asking us to do.

We, the industry, recognise that Greater Geelong and The Bellarine is NOT on the Great Ocean Road.  The tourism offer, competitive strengths and positioning of Geelong are MARKEDLY different from that of the Great Ocean Road.  Even more importantly, VISITORS and potential visitors understand the difference – they do not consider Geelong and The Bellarine to
be part of the Great Ocean Road.  They just don’t buy it.

Local Government in the region allocates close to $2M annually to the regional tourism board and a further $1M to major events.  By every tourism industry measure that could be used as a criteria for being recognised as an individual region – visitation, municipal support, structures, staffing, investment – Greater Geelong and The Bellarine is on par or ahead of
every other region in Victoria.  State Government, through Tourism Victoria, contribute an average of $250,000 to other regional tourism boards.  Yet still they refuse to recognise us.

We’re not just sitting here with our hand out, we’re seeking a partner to invest in a sustainable growth industry that can be part of rebuilding Geelong and The Bellarine into a city and region we can all be proud of.

Please help us be heard.