Open for business

By Kath Gannaway
$10 million package aimed at getting tourists back to Victoria’s bushfire affected areas was welcomed last week by the Yarra Valley & The Dandenongs Marketing (YV&TDM) as “a good first step”.
Premier John Brumby and Tourism Minister Tim Holding were joined by the Federal Parliamentary Secretary for the Victorian Bushfire Recovery Bill Shorten for the joint state/federal funding announcement at De Bortoli Winery in Dixons Creek last week.
Mr Holding had earlier visited Balgownie Estate in Dixons Creek to announce a $70,000 campaign designed to drive conference business in bushfire affected regions.
Both the state and federal governments have acknowledge the need to ensure tourism businesses in bushfire-affected and surrounding areas remain viable.
Mr Holding cited the success of rebuilding the tourism industry in the Grampians after the 2006 bushfires and in Gippsland and the High Country after the 2003 bushfires as precedents for recovery.
“It is vital that as we rebuild these communities we also restore the tourism industry in these regions which employs thousands of Victorians and sustains local economies,” he said.
The $10 million Victorian Bushfire Tourism Industry Support Package will provide $6 million for marketing and brand rebuilding, $1 million to bring forward postponed events and marketing of existing events and $3 million to assist with redevelopment of visitor facility infrastructure in national parks adjoining bushfire areas.
The $70,000 campaign is aimed at raising the profile of areas such as the Yarra Valley for conferences.
Ms Holding said print, on-line and radio would target the business events market and highlight the many convention and meeting facilities available in affected regions.
YV&TDM chairman Dale St George said the Yarra Valley was ready and equipped to cater for that market.
“Conferences have a very short lead-time now and offer a great opportunity for businesses to come and support the region,” he said.
He estimated the Yarra Valley tourism industry was losing around $65 million a month and said the initial flush of support with tourists coming back into the valley and the publicity surrounding that had almost dried up.
He said it would take 18 months for the industry to get back to the level it was before 7 February and that the YV&TDM was working on a three-year plan.
“The plan we have put up is a three-year plan because we believe the response and recovery of the Yarra Valley and Dandenongs will take three years. The initial $10 million is a start but we believe there are more negotiations to take place yet with both state and federal governments on funding proposals.”
Mr St George said the main focus of the YV&TDM at this point was the Easter weekend and the following weekend, which would see the Grape Grazing Festival go ahead.
“We will be encouraging the bushfire-affected communities and the wider Yarra Valley and Dandenongs communities to put on special events, music festivals and other activities to emphasise the “we are open for business” message.”