Villages want tourism gold

By Tania Martin
A TOURISM operator said including Sassafras and Olinda in a state-wide $36 million marketing plan was a great step forward for the region.
Dandenong Ranges Tourism’s Michael Axel said it was especially needed following the economic crisis and Black Saturday fires.
The State Government announced last month it would spend $36 million on an advertising campaign featuring Victoria’s iconic villages.
Premier John Brumby said this move was part of a push to drive up interstate and international visitors to rural and regional areas.
Under the package, groups will have access to a new, dedicated $25 million fund to support the development of world-class infrastructure for tourism, particularly nature-based tourism projects such as walking, rail trails and state and national park upgrades. Olinda and Sassafras are just two of 25 villages chosen to take part in the campaign.
In the Yarra Valley, Healesville has also been name as part of the initiative.
Mr Axel said the campaign would help drive the development of existing tourism businesses and the introduction of new ones in the villages and surrounding areas.
He said naming Olinda and Sassafras as part of the venture showed a vote of confidence in the region by the State Government. Mr Axel said the campaign would help boost international and overseas visitors to the area.
“It will spread the word more widely of what we have to offer,” he said.
Mr Axel said the campaign was desperately needed in the Dandenongs especially as small villages such as Olinda and Sassafras were severely impacted by the coverage of the Black Saturday fires.
He said reports in the media about residents groups being concerned for their safety had impacted on the tourism sector.
“Businesses up here continued to suffer because of the danger perceptions,” Mr Axel said.
He said many tourist operators in the hills suffered from the global economic crisis. Mr Axel said the campaign would help get visitors back to the region.