Grampians Wimmera Mallee Tourism has been a successful recipient of the Victorian State Government $3 million Visitor Servicing Fund and selected as a recipient of both A & B grant streams.
One of only four regions in Victoria to receive funding for the stream B grant of $480,000, Grampians Wimmera Mallee Tourism will be working closely with both the Grampians and Wimmera Mallee local government partners to create a Grampians and Wimmera Mallee Visitor Inspiration Passport (VIP), an app that will provide visitors with maps and up-to-date information available 24/7 on what to do, where to go, and what is open in the region. The project will include online maps and curated itineraries that encourage dispersal and cross promotion of all LGA areas. A QR code web-based visitor inspiration tool (linked to the new app) will be developed to promote local content. The VIP app will also support the Wimmera Mallee’s Silo Art Trail, the world’s largest outdoor gallery, to attract visitors from new markets to the region.
To be the first of its kind, the project will also include the creation of three totally off-grid multi-functional digital kiosks strategically positioned across the Grampians region to support the $34m Grampians Peaks Trail investment and help to disperse visitors across all parts of the Grampians and Wimmera Mallee regions.
The kiosks will provide Wi-Fi hotspots for visitors to download the VIP app for up-to-date visitor servicing information, post on social media, and make Wi-Fi phone calls. These sustainable digital solutions are projected to help the region to be more connected and encourage higher visitation to all corners of the region.
To ensure the project captures all opportunities and feedback, consultation with stakeholders including Visitor Information Centres, Traditional Owners, Parks Victoria, the community and visitors will all occur over the next few months.
Marc Sleeman, CEO of Grampians Wimmera Mallee Tourism, said: ‘We are incredibly grateful to be receiving the funding to allow us to upgrade our current visitor servicing and create a more streamlined way for visitors to access up-to-date information on the region. This will be heavily influential in encouraging greater visits and longer stays to more diverse areas in the region, and overall increase visitor spending. We believe these updates will help our local communities thrive, and we look forward to working with our local councils, businesses, and communities across the Grampians and Wimmera Mallee to implement these exciting upgrades.’
GWM Tourism was also successful with stream A grant of $50,000 and will collaborate with Grampians local governments to update and build on the 2018 Visitor Servicing Review of the region with new visitor and stakeholder research to improve the design and offerings of Visitor Information Centres.
Grampians Wimmera Mallee Tourism will continue to work collectively with local councils to ensure a more tailored engagement approach for Visitor Information Centres with a blend of physical and digital solutions to allow visitors to access information 24/7. In addition, through greater community advocacy for tourism, the visitor market of friends and relatives is also expected to increase visitation numbers. Overall, this strategy is hoped to encourage visitors to the region to stay longer and disperse to more areas and businesses, resulting in an overall increased total visitor spend.
For more information on the Grampians region: https://www.visitgrampians.com.au/
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