Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine lauded at state awards

TOURISM Greater Geelong and The Bellarine (TGGB) has been recognised for its excellence with a gold award at the 2024 Victorian Tourism Awards.

The organisation won in the Tourism Marketing and Campaigns category for its successful “Everyone’s An Influencer” campaign.

The Victorian Tourism Awards annually showcase the state’s leaders in tourism excellence, innovation, professionalism and collaboration.

Winners were announced on Thursday last week at a black-tie gala dinner in Melbourne.

TGGB’s “Everyone’s An Influencer” campaign flipped the script on traditional destination marketing to target locals instead of visitors.

The campaign encouraged local people to use their influence to bring their loved ones to Geelong and the Bellarine.

Featuring clever creative and visual assets, the campaign highlighted the broad range of experiences available to every character – foodies, adventurists, shopaholics, culture vultures and sporty types.

It also capitalised on the region’s strong visiting friends and relatives market, which makes up 43 per cent of all visitors to the region.

TGGB executive director Tracy Carter said her organisation was incredibly proud to have won the award.

“The win reflects the creativity of our small but mighty marketing team, and we’re overjoyed to see our efforts recognised at a state level.”

The wider Greater Geelong and Bellarine area also had great success on the evening.

The Q Train received top honours in Tourism Restaurant and Catering Services, Hop It won Tour and Transport Operators, and Port Phillip Ferries were awarded gold for Major Tour and Transport Operators.

Silver and bronze awards were presented to Higher Mark, Liberty Balloons, Adventure Park, Geelong Arts Centre and Accessible Accommodation in Barwon Heads

Ms Carter said she was elated to see so many local operators recognised for their contributions to the state’s visitor economy.

“We’ve seen first-hand the incredible hard work, passion, and resilience they’ve shown through what has been a challenging period for many in the sector.

“Still, they’ve continued to deliver outstanding visitor experiences, and it’s so satisfying to see their efforts rewarded.”

City of Greater Geelong chief executive officer Ali Wastie said it was thrilling for efforts in the tourism space to promote this region to be recognised.

“This win reflects the city’s commitment to strengthening the visitor economy and we couldn’t be prouder of this achievement.

“A big thank you to our tourism team for their targeted work in driving visitation, which has led to our visitor economy growing to $1.9 billion, exceeding our pre-pandemic record.”

Category winners are automatically entered into the 2025 Australian Tourism Awards in March.

For the full list of state winners, head to vtic.com.au/victoriantourismawards