Victorian council ends decade-long Great Ocean | Australian Markets

A Victorian council has ended a decade-long bid to be included within the famend Great Ocean Road.

The Glenelg Shire Council in far southwest Victoria is blaming state and national advertising campaigns for not together with their area.

Despite not being on the Great Ocean Road itself, the Glenelg council had been paying $80,000 a yr to be half of the Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Board.

In a assertion on the council web site, posted earlier this month, the council says it’s time to cut the chord.

“From 2015, Glenelg Shire Council have been a member of the Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Board (GORRT),” a spokesperson mentioned.

“Council has found that although GORRT have been strong in their advocacy and attempts to link the Glenelg Shire to the Great Ocean Road, the Glenelg Shire is simply not officially recognised by our state and federal partners as being part of the Great Ocean Road.

“We are regularly omitted from marketing, tourism campaigns and strategies.”

The Great Ocean Road generates $1.9bn of financial exercise annually, the state authorities says, creating 9800 native jobs.

Tourism Australia launched its new main marketing campaign final week, and the one Victorian location featured was the Twelve Apostles, which is on the western half of the tourism strip.

The Glenelg Shire is west of the precise Great Ocean Road, regardless of paying $80,000 a yr to the street’s tourism board. Membership offers companies and organisations entry to advertising on tourism web sites.

“Council has chosen not to continue with GORRT, instead redirecting the $80,000 per year membership fee to directly invest in tailored opportunities that better align with the unique needs and potential of our region,” the council spokesperson mentioned.

The Glenelg Shire will as a substitute concentrate on selling its nationally recognised Kelpie Festival, and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape; the primary place in Australia to be recognised solely for its Aboriginal cultural values.

A state authorities spokesperson mentioned Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Board was in charge of tourism for the area.

“We will continue to work with Glenelg Shire to encourage visitors to visit southwest Victoria and experience the best of the Great Ocean Road,” the spokesperson mentioned.