Regional Victoria’s best tourism towns earn recognition

Warrnambool, Mount Beauty and Trentham have claimed top prizes at Victoria’s annual Top Tourism Towns Awards.

The Victoria Tourism Industry Council presented the awards. They were announced at Shepparton’s Museum of Vehicle Evolution last week as part of the Victorian Tourism Summit.

Warrnambool was named the state’s Top Tourism Town (population over 5,000). They beat Ballarat (2nd) and Echuca (3rd).

Mount Beauty in the Victorian Alps received the Top Small Tourism Town (population between 1,500 and 5,000) Award. They finished ahead of Silver medallist Port Fairy and Bronze medallist Portarlington.

Trentham in the Central Highlands beat Halls Gap (2nd) and Whitfield (3rd) to win the Top Tiny Tourism Town (population under 1,500) prize.

Acting VTIC Chief Executive Chris Porter said the Awards would help bring more visitors to regional Victoria.

“Being named Victoria’s Top Tourism Town strengthens a town’s profile, fosters a vibrant local economy and positions it as a leader in regional tourism,” he said.

The awards:

• boost the profile of some of the state’s most charming tourism destinations
• support continued growth in regional Victoria’s tourism sector.

Tourism Research Australia statistics show that, in the 12 months to December 2024, 56.8 million visitors came to regional Victoria. This injected $16 billion into local economies.

As well as creating unforgettable experiences for visitors, the tourism sector is also creating jobs in Victoria’s regions.

Over the 2023-24 financial year, 46% the state’s 288,800 tourism-filled jobs were located outside of Melbourne.

This figure represents one in every 9 regional jobs.

Read more about Victoria’s Top Tourism Towns Awards on the Victorian Tourism Industry Council website.