Sovereign Hill named in tourist collective

SOVEREIGN Hill has joined a grouping of iconic Australian tourist attractions that aims to bring the nation’s best cultural offerings to the attention of international visitors.

The Cultural Attractions of Australia collective features institutions that have developed rare and premium experiences for their guests and is the latest branch of Tourism Australia’s Signature Experiences of Australia program.

At Sovereign Hill, their unique opportunities include exploration of the township by lamplight, dining with intriguing characters from the goldfields and dressing up in costume from the gold rush era.

Jennifer Ganske is the director of marketing at Sovereign Hill and the chair of Cultural Attractions of Australia. She is excited that the hard work of Australia’s foremost outdoor museum is being validated.

“Most of Australia’s advertised tourist attractions are nature based. International people want to see cultural events and see what makes Australia,” she said. “Sovereign Hill really takes international visitation seriously… and Ballarat’s heritage and history is rich with immigration. It was a no brainer.

“Sovereign Hill feels incredibly privileged, we’re with some heavy hitters – things that are really the backbone of culture within Australia.”

The other Victorian founding members of the collective are Arts Centre Melbourne, MCG and the National Gallery of Victoria.

More institutions involved across the country will be announced at the collective’s official launch at the Australian Tourism Exchange, Perth in April.