A new round of the Enabling Tourism Fund will make available up to $8 million for tourism infrastructure builds and to support more jobs across Regional Victoria – with one in every 11 jobs in regional Victoria in the tourism industry.
Member for Bendigo East and Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, visited the redesigned Bendigo Planetarium with Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos to launch the latest round of grants.
Grants between $20,000 and $500,000 are open to tourism businesses, non-for-profits, and Traditional Owner organisations.
Bendigo’s new planetarium is a great example of how these grants can be used after receiving funds from the Victorian Government’s Regional Tourism Investment Fund which allowed them to double the size of the planetarium’s dome.
Premier Allan says the fund is all about getting the most exciting regional tourism ideas off the ground and ready for investment.
Minister Dimopoulos says “Regional tourism projects attract visitors and jobs, but first they have to attract investment – and that’s where this funding comes in.”
The grants will be delivered in two streams: the first providing support to test the concept of a large new infrastructure project like a feasibility study or masterplan.
The second stream funds detailed design packages, funding strategies, or community engagement plans. Both are vital to attracting greater investment and getting projects off paper.
The fund is guided by five priorities of experiences that Victoria does best – First Peoples-led experiences, wellness, arts and culture, food and drink, and nature.
