The Labour Day weekend has been hailed a huge success - not only in Ballarat but also in the wider region - but where does the city go from here?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As Ballarat moves into a traditionally quieter period during the Easter long weekend, businesses are eager to see events ideas to help keep growing tourism opportunities.
Sovereign Park Motor Inn owner Tim Canny said the tourism industry was always looking for more drawcards to bring and keep people in town.
While some smaller events are on the cards for April, Mr Canny said having different organisations bringing ideas to the table could help continue to boost numbers.
Mayor Des Hudson said the council was always open to ideas. He said Easter was typically when people left town and enjoyed time away before winter.
But Cr Hudson also said there were still people who stayed in town.
"Maybe there is an opportunity to fill a gap and bring people to Ballarat - it just depends on what that idea might be," he said.
With other major events occurring in regional Victoria, like the Stawell Gift and the south-east coast's Rip Curl Pro, Ballarat tends to get overlooked at Easter.
"We're willing to listen to different ideas people have," Cr Hudson said.
While some tourist businesses have expressed their disappointment to The Courier at a less profitable summer than expected and COVID-19 recovery is still top of mind, Labour Day has marked a turnaround in visitor numbers.
With the Ballarat Begonia Festival returning to its pre-COVID-19 long weekend format, the free event attracted large crowds to the Botanical Gardens.
Forty minutes away, ChillOut brought thousands into the Hepburn Shire. For the first time in the event's history, there were too many people to be accommodated in Victoria Park.
After the tourism blow dealt by COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020/21, there is a reinvigorated appetite for regional events to boost visitors.
The Lost Trades Fair, a major event once held in Kyneton that Ballarat unsuccessfully attempted to secure, is a stand-out example with about 20,000 people drawn to the two-day event in Bendigo and all accommodation options full.
According to Tourism Research Australia's National Visitor Survey, tourism numbers for Ballarat show day-trips are still down compared to 2019.
It's a similar picture for overnight visitors.
In the year ending June 2022, numbers were at 660,000 - down from 927,000 for the same period in 2019.
Mr Canny said overnight stays would need to be a focus for the new tourism partnership that included Ballarat, Hepburn, Golden Plains, Moorabool and Pyrenees councils.
"The challenge we have is to offer guests enough to do, to force them to stay overnight," he said.
"I think a lot of people think all the business coming will only benefit accommodation and some restaurants, but the fact is that the whole city really benefits because the money trickles through everywhere."
IN THE NEWS:
In the short-term, Mr Canny said there were a few weekend events that were making the next few months look positive.
Tickets continue to sell for Kryal Castle's music gigs featuring Jimmie Allen, Gavin DeGraw, and the Smashing Pumpkins.
Sports events, like the Australian National Basketball Championships that were held in Ballarat last Easter, also typically boost accommodation.
Mr Canny said it was great to see the Australian Flying Disc championships back in town again during April.
Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.