General News
21 July, 2025
Our tourism industry needs YOU!
A new campaign has been unveiled calling on local residents to help drive tourism recovery.
Residents across the Grampians and Wimmera Mallee are urged to help support the region’s bushfire recovery by doing something simple but powerful - inviting friends and family to visit.
The YOU campaign reminds locals that sometimes, the most impactful thing you can do is extend a personal invitation.
A long-overdue catch up with a friend from the city, a cousin from interstate, or a mate in need of a weekend away.
Grampians Wimmera Mallee Tourism says people are more likely to travel when there’s someone waiting to welcome them. And that someone is YOU!
Grampians Wimmera Mallee Tourism CEO Marc Sleeman said the campaign highlights the ‘Visiting Friends and Relatives market’, one of the strongest and most reliable drivers of regional tourism.
“This is about uniting the entire community to take a role in recovery. We know people have gone through tough times. This is about us realising that visiting friends and relatives is the most important sector for our local communities.
“People often come here for the lakes and the waterways and the views and the hiking trails but actually the most important attraction in our region is you – our local community,” he said.
“If we can get 60-thousand residents behind one single message of building recovery for our region we know every visitor invited here is going to spend money in cafes, keep people employed and supported across the region,” Mr Sleeman said.
“Recovery doesn’t always come from big gestures. Sometimes, it starts with a simple message. Come stay with us!”
Grampians Wimmera Mallee Tourism says friends and family often come midweek, stay longer and engage more with local cafés, shops cellar doors and attractions.
While many are hosted by locals, many book accommodation, especially when travelling in groups or for longer stays.
At the heart of the new campaign is a group of local legends, whose familiar faces and vital local insight are helping to spread this message through posters, postcards, digital and social media content.
Northern Grampians Mayor Karen Hyslop said every local resident can play a role.
“I love the concept of this campaign. We have family in Melbourne that we grew up with and they still come back to the Grampians to visit.
“This campaign will help get people here all year round and I think sometimes the winter is a better time to visit because it isn’t so busy.
“Getting people here is a great thing and hopefully they will venture out to Stawell, St Arnaud, Great Western and Halls Gap,” she said.
Cr Hyslop said while support for the tourism industry is the key message, visitation has a flow on benefit for the whole community.
“In Stawell, when Halls Gap is busy, you walk in the supermarket and wonder where all the people have come from, it’s obviously the overflow from Halls Gap and they come into Stawell and shop at the supermarket, go up the main street and buy clothes and other items. A win-win,” she said.
A short survey will also run alongside the campaign, helping build a better understanding of this important visitor group.
Locals can visit www.visitgrampians.com.au/YOU to explore ready-made itineraries from the campaign’s local legends, find deals to share with friends and family, and access easy-to-use invitation templates to help get the word out.