Wine enthusiasts and lovers of unique getaway experiences will have the chance to sleep amongst the vines as part of a luxury pop-up to be delivered at three wineries across the state.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula was at Federation Square on Tuesday 19 February for a sneak peek at one of the converted shipping containers which will be dropped into vineyards to help drive visitation in regional Victoria in the wake of the summer’s bushfires.
The Wine Down Pop Up project will see the luxury pods placed at Seville Estate from 28 February to 28 March as well as in the Mornington Peninsula and Rutherglen.
Each winery will offer accommodation in two converted shipping containers plus a hot tub and special wine bar, accompanied by a virtual-reality experience to inspire travel to other wine regions in Victoria.
The containers will be powered by solar generators, making Wine Down Pop Up a carbon neutral operation.
In 2019, the project proved an overwhelming success with 95 per cent occupancy across three months at vineyard locations in the King Valley, Macedon and South Gippsland.
Tourism is an important employer in regional Victoria, supporting more than 90,000 jobs. In the year ending September 2019, regional Victoria welcomed more than 60 million domestic and international visitors, who spent an estimated $11.5 billion.
Visit Victoria chief executive Brendan McClements said, “Regional Victoria has attractions and accommodation for visitors of every description and this is a terrific temporary addition to our offerings.”
Visit Victoria has partnered with sustainable designers Contained to deliver Wine Down Pop Up for a second year, with bookings available at contained.com.au/hotel.
“Now is the time to book your regional Victorian getaway, because a short stay really does go a long way,” Mr Pakula said.
“Wine Down Pop Up offers a unique experience and will help to support tourism businesses and workers from across the state.”
