The campaign, to run over a two-year period, is the largest investment in local and interstate advertising for tourism in the region.

Goldfields executive committee chairman Rod Thomson said some of Australia's most widely circulated print media was being targeted and 15 and 30 second television commercials has been developed to showcase the region's

coming of age, with a focus on the heritage aspects of the goldfields.

"It is about raising the profile of the goldfields as a tourism destination and to increase length of stay," Mr Thomson said.

"We want them to also feed off into the small villages like the Creswicks, the Buninyongs and the like."

Goldfields Tourism was recently awarded a $500,000 Federal Government grant to continue raising the awareness of the goldfields region.

Senator Julian McGauran officially launched the campaign at the Eaglehawk Town Hall yesterday.

Several Ballarat businesses, including Sovereign Hill, will also release special packages as part of the marketing plan.

Ballarat Tourism executive director Barb Chalkley said the campaign would have "huge advantages" for the City of Ballarat.

"Being a part of the goldfields committee adds an enormous amount of strength to Ballarat as a destination," Ms Chalkley said.

"It allows us to go into markets that Ballaratql

couldn't afford by ourselves."