The Margaret River region has successfully secured a grant set to boost international wine tourism thanks to collaboration from key stakeholders.
Margaret River Wine Region will receive $250,000 through the International Wine Tourism Competitive Grants Program, as a component of the Australian government’s $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package.
There were 21 successful wine tourism projects announced through the competitive grant project, with a maximum of $250,000 available per project.
The competitive grants program invited a range of wine and tourism sector bodies to apply for grants for exciting international wine tourism initiatives that attract visitors to their wine regions.
WA wine regions stand to benefit from a $1.7 million investment boost for two international wine tourism projects – one project in Margaret River and Geographe Bay, the other in the Swan Valley.
Margaret River Wine Association chief executive officer Amanda Whiteland said the Margaret River application was a collaboration between the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association, South West Development Commission, Australia’s South West, the wine industry and the Wine Association.
“Margaret River wine exports and wine tourism are so strongly linked,” she said.
“It is important for the growth of our region that we work together to attract more international visitors to experience Margaret River’s diverse wine tourism offering.”
Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association chief executive officer Claire Savage said this was the first time the region had seen this degree of collaboration in its marketing efforts.
“Singapore is one of the region’s most important international markets and for the first time we have the key players coming together to target this market with an integrated program of activities,” she said.
“It is a huge step forward and hopefully the beginning of much greater alignment across all our marketing efforts,” she said.
Building on the success of the First Class in a Glass and 50th Anniversary events held in previous years, the centrepiece of the marketing program will be a week long program of events held in Singapore.
It will also include the development of content marketing assets, a famils program and digital campaign to help grow visitation from Singapore and South East Asia to the region.
Wine Australia chief executive officer Andreas Clark said the wine tourism projects would diversify the wine tourism offering and create a lasting impression of Australian wine, in terms of visitor enjoyment and satisfaction.
