Guides push tourist attractions

By Dion Teasdale
THE Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges have a new tourist information guide and industry website to attract and inform visitors to the region.
Destination Yarra Valley Dandenong Ranges launched its Official Visitors Guide and new industry website to more than 80 tourism businesses at Sticks Winery in Yarra Glen last week.
The 64 page Official Visitors Guide carries front cover imagery taken from the highly successful Yarra Valley – Where Will You Hide? advertising campaign, most famously recognised for its Run Rabbit Run television commercial.
The guide, with a print run of 10,0000 copies, will promote the region’s wine, food, wildlife, parks, gardens, attractions and accommodation to both domestic and international tourists.
In launching the guide, Tourism Victoria’s director of marketing, Don Richter, congratulated its 100 plus advertisers for supporting the new publication.
Mr Richter said advertisers would be linked to both the multi million dollar campaign promoting the Yarra Valley as well as the highly recognised Tourism Victoria Jigsaw marketing program.
Destination Yarra Valley Dandenong Ranges executive director Andrea Roberts said the Official Visitor Guide was designed to attract prospective tourists to the region.
She said the guide would also encourage tourists to visit sites across the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges, and encourage visitors to increase their length of stay and to return.
“The cooperative nature of this brochure links an array of businesses from all parts of this region into one singular guide for the customer,” Ms Roberts said.
“The connections between the advertising businesses are very important in ensuring customer satisfaction and also in encouraging the spread of wealth generated through tourism, which in this region is estimated at some $245 million.”
Mr Roberts said 40,000 copies of the guide were dispatched to visitor information centres, Federation Square, RACV offices and Melbourne hotels before Christmas.
Tourism businesses in the region are also being encouraged to obtain regularly up-dated distribution reports from Destination Yarra Valley Dandenong Ranges’ new corporate website, also launched last week.
The website is designed to provide information relevant to tourism businesses and to assist them in remaining in touch with industry trends and opportunities.
“We encourage businesses to log onto www.destinationyvdr.com.au to keep informed on current strategies, research, news, opportunities, imagery and events,” Ms Roberts said.