On the Brief-Case has a distinctively touristy feel about it this week — and why not, still so close to the summer holiday season. Aren’t we all longing to return to some sort of dream destination that isn’t work?
Maybe it’s just me.
It’s also prompted by the big rebrand during the week for local tourism under the banner ‘Shepparton and Goulburn Valley’. Sometimes simple is best, I guess.
Most recently floods and before that, and still to some degree, COVID-19 have tested the local tourism industry to its limits.
Ironically though, while initially devastating the tourism industry, COVID-19 has more recently prompted something of a boom for regional tourism, and the Goulburn Valley’s tourism sector is positioning itself to take advantage of that.
Figures from Tourism Research Australia, a part of Austrade, showed that in the year 2020-21 the industry was worth $96 million in gross regional product to the Goulburn region and 2690 jobs could be linked to it, but that was a year of contraction due to COVID.
More recent figures at a state level show that total tourism expenditure in Victoria in the year ending September 2022 increased by 95 per cent compared to the year ending September 2021.
The TRA is forecasting international visitor arrivals to move higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2025 and international spend to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2024.
Domestic travel on the rise
The turnaround for domestic travel is progressing more quickly.
Overnight and day-trip expenditure this year are already above pre-pandemic levels, and the number of visitor nights is set to surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2023.
Domestic visitor nights in Victoria are predicted by the TRA to increase from 56,951 in 2021 to 81,035 this year and 83,614 in 2024. By 2027 the figure is expected to be 91,482.
It’s this growing pie the Goulburn Valley is hoping to get a healthy slice of.
“We’ve got our own little niche that we feel we can offer more broadly to people that want to stay regionally and with travelling and that has been highlighted, as you mentioned, the past 12 months, people want to stay local, whether it's from a national base or even regional Vic as well,” City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali said.
The local rebrand emphasises the region’s stories, varied cultures, produce and attractions, and Shepparton Art Museum marketing co-ordinator and Destination Goulburn Valley board member Louise Tremper says visitors are waking up to the value in a visit to the area.
“I actually work at SAM as well and just the numbers that we are getting through the doors now that the pandemic has lifted somewhat and now that we don't have all the capacity limitations, so we are literally seeing hundreds a day come through our door,” Ms Tremper said.
GV Health searching for a navigator
Goulburn Valley Health has created a new role within its talent acquisition team to support prospective candidates and recruits working in the field of mental health.
The workforce navigator will support professionals in the field of mental health to gain employment, relocate, settle and integrate into GV Health and the wider Shepparton community.
GV Health talent acquisition manager Tess Simkin said an integral part of the role was to build upon the relationship with the Community Connector Program, which is a collaboration between Greater Shepparton City Council and the Committee for Greater Shepparton.
“The workforce navigator position provides tailored support and information to not only mental health professionals, but also their families,” Ms Simkin said.
“A key component of the role is to support finding employment for their partners, schools for their children, as well as housing and other essential services and connections needed to settle into our community,” she said.
The role is for two years, four days a week.