REGION - Minister for Tourism and Major Events Louise Asher has released research that proves tourism is vital to the Grampians.
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The research reveals that tourism in the Grampians contributes $949 million to the local economy (22.2 per cent of GRP) and generates employment for about 8,500 people.
It also highlights the economic contribution of tourism to the regional economies of Victoria. The Grampians ranked seventh in a list of regions that reap large benefits from the tourism industry.
"Tourism is a valuable contributor to Victoria's regional economies, worth $10.9 billion to regional Victoria and generating the employment of 109,000 people both directly and indirectly in 2011-12," Ms Asher said.
Research by Tourism Victoria and Deloitte Access Economics reveals the economic impact on regional Victoria of tourism and provides estimates of the direct and indirect contribution of tourism in Victoria's eleven tourism regions.
Ms Asher said tourism is a major economic driver for regional Victoria and that the research is an important step in providing consistent regional economic data to better understand the contribution that tourism makes to Victoria's regions.
"Regional Victoria has a greater reliance on the tourism sector than Melbourne, contributing 13.9 per cent of regional Victoria's total Gross Regional Product," she said.
"As a labour intensive industry tourism also contributes significantly to regional development through employment generation, contributing 12.8 per cent of total regional employment and with more people employed in tourism in regional Victoria than in Melbourne."
Other regions with the greatest reliance on tourism include:
Daylesford and Macedon Ranges - with tourism contributing $804 million to the local economy (36.4 per cent of GRP) and generating employment for approximately 7,200 people.
Murray - with tourism contributing $1.67 billion to the local economy (13.1 per cent of GRP) and generating employment for approximately 15,900 people.
Great Ocean Road - with tourism contributing $1.83 billion to the local economy (11.1 per cent of GRP) and generating employment for approximately 20,000 people.
Goldfields - with tourism contributing $1.12 billion to the local economy (10.1 per cent of GRP) and generating employment for approximately 12,500 people.
