It was a reminder, as though one were needed, of the ongoing uncertainty that has presented such a challenge to beleaguered hospitality workers this year.

Firstly Premier Daniel Andrews outlined the ways his government plans to help boost the Victorian tourism industry. Then the City of Ballarat confirmed it would revive the highly regarded Made of Ballarat tourism campaign.

As well as a number of infrastructure initiatives - which include $6.71 million for a new National Centre of Photography in Ballarat - Mr Andrews said there would be $28 million set aside for a voucher scheme to encourage Victorians to spend their summer holidays in regional areas.

Visitors would be able to claim vouchers worth $200 if they spent more than $400 on accommodation, attractions or tours in the regional areas, he said. The scheme is due to be up and running next month, with Mr Andrews saying regional restaurants, pubs, hotels, wineries and small businesses would be "at the forefront" of recovery efforts.

In the meantime, the City of Ballarat said the shelved Made of Ballarat marketing campaign would return from early next year.

In a newsletter to tourism industry professionals sent on Wednesday afternoon, the council's visitor economy team confirmed there would be new life for the award-winning campaign.

It is due to have a more visible presence from February - a date informed by Visit Victoria, the council says - once local tourism businesses have had their say.

On the same day as that announcement, the South Australian government introduced a six-day lockdown as it battled to contain a COVID-19 cluster thought to have originated from a hotel quarantine case.

Pubs, cafes and restaurants will be closed, regional travel will be banned and holiday houses off limits for the duration of the lockdown.

Locally the emphasis remained on recovery, however - with the city's marketing team hoping a new phase of the Made of Ballarat campaign could contribute.

The marketing initiative, which focused on Ballarat's creative and culinary scene, was designed to challenge the 'old, cold and gold' stereotype often applied to Ballarat.

It ran from August 2018 through to the latter half of 2019. Funded through Visit Ballarat in its previous incarnation as the city's arm's length tourism marketing arm, it had a much reduced profile once marketing was taken back in-house from the end of September last year.

A number of tourism businesses praised the campaign and expressed their concern over its future when those changes were made.

In the new phase, there will be a newly designed logo as well as an increased focus on family activities.

The original agency behind the campaign, Town Square, which won an award for its work in March, is also involved in the early strategy and concept work.

The new campaign would have a strong digital focus and aim to present Ballarat as a "progressive, creative and enriching" destination to attract visitors from Melbourne, tourism business professionals were told.

The City of Ballarat marketing team said the campaign would aim to "reach a broader audience ... and feature more Ballarat product and experiences."

Other work carried out locally will include a new Made of Ballarat publication.

It will run in conjunction with a Weekends in Ballarat campaign aimed at driving overnight stays in the city.

The City of Ballarat would not disclose a total projected cost for the new campaign, but said it would sit under this year's tourism budget. That was set at $2.8 million back in July.

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