Visitor Insights
To support and sustain a high-performing tourism industry we need to know how it works.
By providing the relevant insights and research we can help members understand performance trends, consumer sentiment and support good decision making for their businesses.
Our Tourism Ecosystem
We’ve come to appreciate and value that our region’s visitor economy is so much more than people simply coming here for a leisurely holiday.
Don’t get us wrong, it’s a great place to unwind and indulge. But we also welcome our family and friends, and people from all around the world to study, work and play in the region.
Our visitor economy is an integral part of our region’s economy, our destination’s health and community’s prosperity.
2024 Fast Facts*
6.3M
visitors annually
$1.8B
regional output
4.6M
overnight visitors
Top
100
TSI’s Most-Loved Global Destinations
*Domestic travel as of year ending September 2023.
VISITOR MARKETS
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, total visitor spend in Geelong and The Bellarine was worth $1.1 billion in the year ending December 2019, after a period of strong growth over five years of 9% per annum since 2014.
Greater Geelong and The Bellarine attracted 6 million visitors in 2019/20, comprised of 1.6 million overnight visitors and 4.4 million daytrip visitors. Over 80% of visitors to the Greater Geelong and The Bellarine region were from Victoria, with 54% of these visitors who stayed one night or more travelling from Melbourne with a further 30% from regional Victoria. The region attracted 57k international visitors with strong growth from the New Zealand and South East Asian markets.
Fast forward to 2022, our region has gained an even stronger reliance on the domestic intrastate market, who have started staying longer and spending more per trip than they did before the COVID.
So, while visitor numbers and overall yield are down, it has been promising to see that the markets that are able to travel have bounced back relatively stronger.
Current snapshot
Navigate the interactive dashboard below to see the latest tourism data for our region.
Powered by Localis.
Further reading
Fill your spare time by reading these blogs and reports with insights into the tourism industry and visitor economy at a local, state and national level.
The latest Tourism Sentiment Index results are out and we’re on the up
The latest Tourism Sentiment Index results are out for Q3 for Geelong and The Bellarine and things are looking good!
Visitor economy bounces back ahead of predictions
A 66% increase in visitor spend has super-charged Greater Geelong and The Bellarine’s visitor economy, returning it to its pre-pandemic worth of $1.1 billion.
Fund delivers much-needed boost to business events sector in Geelong and Great Ocean Road
A state-funded Business Events Attraction program has successfully enticed 54 events to Geelong and the Great Ocean Road, kickstarting the sector’s recovery.
Tailored Insights
Curious to know how your business is performing with visitors or who attended your recent event? Depending on your membership type with us, you may be eligible for a tailored report from Localis and gain access to deep and granular insights about your audience or destination.