Following extensive community engagement conducted over a 12-month period, a Destination Management Plan for the region was published in December 2023.

This is a major plan for tourism in the region and is the start of how we work together differently with the community to manage the forecasted visitor growth the region will experience over the coming ten years. We understand that actions speak louder than words, and Tourism East will be actively working with Governments to help deliver the highest priorities identified in the action plan. Not every action we have identified will remain a priority, and our Implementation Committee will seek to monitor the Plan's success and update accordingly as outcomes are achieved.

To help create our suite of plans at a regional and sub-regional level, ODIN360 were engaged to work closely with our Steering Committee to undertake detailed research and analysis to develop the plan, which included:

2261 survey responses from visitors, community and businesses
Consultation with the Wurundjeri, Bunurong and Taungurung traditional owners groups
30 One-on-one Interviews with key stakeholders
400 industry leaders engaged through workshops
15 Group workshops

The Destination Management Plan was the largest community engagement activity carried out by the regional tourism organisation, and we are confident that it reflects and embraces the views of the whole region.

Fast facts

If nothing else changes in the region day trip visitation will move from 4.1M to 9.1M as Melbourne continues to grow

The DMP purpose: To enhance the livability of the region, lift social license for tourism and grow the visitors economy in a sustainable manner.

The DMP aims to:

Transition a shift in visitor behaviour from day trip to overnight supported by investment in accommodation infrasrastruture
Transition weekend to mid-week visitation to support more sustainable management of visitors
Improve livability supported by civic asset renewal and maintenance
Improve support for tourism supported by community prosperity

The DMP will see:

Regional jobs grow from 7,227 to 11,500
Visitor Spending grow from $1.2B to $2.3B
Greater adoption of global sustainability objectives and practices across all aspects of the visitor economy

Destination Management Plan, Overview, Local Area Plans and Workforce Plan

The full DMP, plus an overview with actions along with the Local Area Plan and Workforce Plan reports are available to download below.

DMP Document and Overview Document

Local Area Plans and Workforce Plan

Project Overview

Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges 10-year Destination Management Plan

This work created a strategic masterplan to support all aspects of managing the visitor economy, culminating in a comprehensive 10-year Destination Management Plan (DMP) supported by four Local Area Plans (LAP) and an integrated Workforce Plan.

The Plans were generously funded by the State Government, Yarra Ranges Council, Nillumbik Shire Council and Tourism East.

This work seeks to ensure the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges retain their competitive advantage as a world-class tourism destination.

The Primary study area focused on the local government areas of our financial partners:

Yarra Ranges
Nillumbik
Manningham

The Secondary study area included consideration of the local government areas that surround our primary area of:

Cardinia
Murrindindi
Maroondah
Casey
Knox

The DMP laid the foundations for sustainable destination growth, prosperity and development for the region. The plan balanced economic priorities with the social, environmental, and cultural fabric of the region, identifying how we can further strengthen the visitor economy as a key tourism destination for Victoria.

This work is a catalyst for a more collaborative approach of all stakeholders to managing the visitor economy across our region particularly given a predicted doubling in visitation over the next 10 years.

The DMP and LAPs included:

Evaluating the region's assets, experiences and needs for the future
Clarifying the boundaries, capability and capacity of tourism in the region and its major sub-areas
A supporting evidence base for future strategies looking at case studies and best practice exemplars for prioritisation
Making recommendations on infrastructure needs from a practical delivery and game-changing perspective
Ensuring both the new and existing projects/businesses in the region are provided with the necessary support to ensure their long-term success
Identifying pathways for resourcing the plan with physical and financial support

Stakeholder consultation and engagement

Successful DMPs involve the engagement of key stakeholders and relevant members of the community as well as conducting research. We have engaged with a wide range of stakeholders to gain broad insights and perspectives through workshops, interviews, surveys and market research, reaching approximately 3,000 people. Traditional owner groups have been consulted along with the three key local government areas of Yarra Ranges, Nillumbik and Manningham as well other nearby Council regions and state agencies, visitors, residents and of course local industry and associations. There has also been a significant amount of research, investigation and analysis undertaken. This is to ensure we fully understand visitation and economic trends as they relate to the region.

DMP Community and Visitor Research Reports:

In developing this Destination Management Plan, the following surveys were generated from statistically significant sample sizes of the local community and visitors to the region.

Local Area Plans

The LAPs for each of the four sub-regions drill down to the opportunities and challenges facing key tourism towns within the region. These establish achievable priorities to increase their competitiveness within the visitor economy, address the dispersal of visitors across the region and address off-peak periods.

Workforce Plan

The Workforce Plan addresses the workforce challenges currently impacting the ability to support the required tourism and hospitality jobs across the region. This will help to inform the future recommendations for businesses, training pathways, infrastructure, services, housing and transport to sustain a skilled workforce to support our industry and meet the needs of businesses operating in the tourism and hospitality sector in the Yregion.