‘Associates and family members’ market’ very important to Ballarat’s tourism restoration

The latest visit statistics from Tourism Research Australia have shown for the first time the year-over-year impact of COVID-19 on the Ballarat visitor economy. The numbers are clear, Ballarat’s recovery lies in Ballarat locals inviting their friends and relatives to visit.

Ballarat’s tourism sector saw strong numbers in December 2020, January and March 2021 according to the latest figures from Tourism Research Australia.

Both the city of Ballarat and Ballarat Regional Tourism (BRT) emphasized the importance of the friends and relatives’ market for the recreation of local tourism.

BRT Chairman Paul Martino said, “Given the limited travel options between states, this is a great opportunity for Ballarat residents to invite their friends and relatives to Ballarat, and there is no better time than now during our magical Ballarat Winter Festival.”

Ballarat City Mayor Cr Daniel Moloney said it was important that we invite all of our friends and relatives to come to Ballarat and visit our local attractions and eat and drink in our restaurants.

“The recovery of tourism in Ballarat is in the hands of the locals, who invite friends and relatives to come to town,” said Cr Moloney.

“Invite your family and friends to come to Ballarat and enjoy a jam-packed calendar of winter events, including the prestigious Winter Festival.

In addition, Ballarat’s spring events calendar is already incredibly busy with the Ballarat International Photo Biennale, Royal South Street, with more exciting announcements expected soon.

Tourism Research Australia data also shows:

• The total number of visitors to Ballarat has decreased by about 50 percent year on year in terms of total visitor numbers and total overnight stays, with COVID-19 heavily influencing these statistics.

• December 2020 (12 percent) and January 2021 (19 percent) have been busy months for visits since March 2020, as has March 2021 (16.6%)

• Visiting family and relatives (40 percent) is a very important sector for domestic overnight travel to Ballarat city.

• Melbourne was the largest source tourism market, followed by regional Victoria

• The property of a friend or relative was the most popular type of accommodation

• Visitors stayed an average of 2.3 nights

• Visitors to day trips fell by 32.7 percent compared to the previous year, also influenced by COVID-19

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