Phase one (2023)

The conversation

Tourism is a driver of Melbourne’s economy and one of the cornerstones of our diverse, vibrant, global city. We all know that the last few years have been particularly tough on our tourism industry.

The Destination Management Plan is a chance to look to the future and consider the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Fundamentally, the plan goes to the heart of the type of experience we want Melbourne to offer its visitors and residents.

Gathering insights

From May to September 2023, we asked the community to describe clearly what they want Melbourne’s visitor economy to look like.

We collected feedback through:

  • an online survey
  • industry focus groups
  • 1:1 interviews
  • stakeholder meetings.

Traditional Owner groups were invited to individual consultation sessions.

Who we reached

98

Online survey responses

150+

Face-to-face engagements

50+

interviews

12

Focus groups

755

Website visitors

What we heard

Ideas wall

We asked the community to describe their ideal visitor experience in Melbourne in five years’ time using three words.

Key feedback themes:

  • Cultural City

    Melbourne is Australia’s cultural heart and home to one of the world's most culturally diverse communities.

    This diversity creates a wealth of experiences and allows visitors from across the world to feel a sense of welcome and inclusiveness.

  • Creative City

    Creative experiences are one of the main reasons people visit Melbourne and 69% of visitors think the city is "creative”.

    If Melbourne is to retain its edge as a creative city, it cannot stand still. But creativity cannot be manufactured.

  • ​Culinary City

    The diversity and quality of the city’s culinary offers is unmatched across Australia, though other cities are heavily investing in this space.

    Our unique sense of place, connection to the fabric of the city and entrepreneurial mindset are what drives the city’s culinary scene.

  • ​Sporting City

    If there's a sport that can be played, there's a fair chance there's a following for it in Melbourne.

    What sets Melbourne’s spectator sport experience apart is the proximity to the city and vibrant urban environment.

  • ​Events City

    What stands out about Melbourne’s cultural events is the proximity and connection to a vibrant urban environment as well as the diversity of Melbourne’s events calendar.

    Stakeholders believe events continue to be critical in driving visitation to Melbourne and filling need periods in our calendar.

  • ​Fashion City

    Melbourne deserves its reputation as the fashion and style capital of Australia, with an unrivalled collection of boutiques that merge the high-end with the avant-garde.

    Shopping continues to be a top visitor activity, from intrastate, interstate and international visitors alike.

  • ​Green City

    Melbourne’s environmental initiatives have earned it a reputation as one of the most sustainable, not just in Australia, but throughout the world.

    The city’s green infrastructure, along with urban forests, wildlife and biodiversity appeal to a growing segment of travellers looking to connect with nature.

Opportunities we identified from feedback

  • New traveller behaviours and strong economic growth in the Indo-Pacific region offer opportunities over the coming decades to further diversify Melbourne’s source markets for international visitation.
  • Melbourne is a city of discovery and in-market digital marketing and enhanced visitor servicing could be utilised to help visitors discover what’s on in the city.
  • Interest in Aboriginal tourism offerings from both domestic and international audiences is a growing trend and represents an opportunity to showcase the unique Aboriginal cultural heritage that visitors can experience in the heart of the city.
  • Stronger collaboration across the industry could improve event activation and amplify the benefits they bring to the city’s visitor economy.
  • Business events fill need periods in the city’s tourism calendar and are an opportunity to position Melbourne as a city of innovation and support key economic sectors for the city’s broader economy.
  • The Birrarung has significant historical and cultural significance and could be more of a central point of focus for the city’s experience and identity.
  • Neighbourhoods and precincts offer an opportunity to showcase the diversity of Melbourne’s experience and extend the benefits of the visitor economy.
  • One in four travellers have accessibility needs and Melbourne has an opportunity to be a global leader in accessible tourism.

Impact

Feedback we heard informed the vision and priorities articulated in the draft Experience Melbourne 2028 Plan, which was open for consultation mid-2024.

Phase two (2024)

The conversation

The draft Experience Melbourne 2028 plan proposes a future vision and framework for City of Melbourne’s visitor economy.

From 8 May to 5 June 2024, we asked the community about what is important to our emerging vision for city's visitor economy. We received 49 responses to the survey from residents, visitors and business owners. Targeted consultation with industry leaders also took place during this timeframe.

The purpose of the engagement was to:

  • Raise awareness for City of Melbourne’s draft vision for Experience Melbourne 2028.
  • Gather feedback on the key directions and the strategic actions presented in the draft plan.

Gathering insights

We used a range of methods to promote consultation including:

  • industry newsletters
  • social media posts
  • direct emails.

Who we heard from:

City of Melbourne icon of someone using a computer

1665 Participate Melbourne page views

City of Melbourne icon for a survey

49 survey responses

175 downloads of the plan

City of Melbourne icon for people

15 one-on-one meetings with industry stakeholders

What we heard

  • Industry stakeholders are committed to aligning their strategies and initiatives with the plan, thus highlighting the value of the plan for the broader visitor economy.
  • Respondents consistently highlighted the importance of safety and cleanliness, and its impact on all experience pillars.
  • The plan must clearly define its geographic scope and acknowledge visitors from greater Melbourne as a key market.
  • Showcasing Melbourne's uniqueness should be central to the plan and its execution.
  • Respondents also highlighted challenges beyond City of Melbourne’s direct remit, emphasising Council’s crucial role as an advocate to other levels of government.
  • What sets events in Melbourne apart is their proximity and strong connection to the city.
  • The benefits of events should be distributed across the city.
  • The event approvals process needs to be enhanced and streamlined.
  • Local artists and artisans must be empowered.
  • Increased funding for the creative sector is needed.
  • Creativity should be inclusive and showcased throughout the city.
  • Opportunity to better celebrate the city’s cultural heritage.
  • Opportunity to better showcase the city’s unique architecture and design.
  • Opportunity to better celebrate the city’s multiculturalism.
  • The term gastronomy doesn’t properly reflect the city’s unique food and drink offering.
  • While we are known for our night time economy, Melbourne is not a 24/7 city and perhaps doesn’t aspire to be.
  • The city’s culinary experiences must be packaged and made easily accessible for visitors.
  • Independent retailers and boutiques require support.
  • The retail sector can continue to adapt to the changing rhythms of the city.
  • Shopping activations can enhance the retail experience and drive foot traffic.
  • Meaningful connections between the tourism industry and Traditional Owners must be established.
  • Aboriginal culture should be integrated into the fabric of the city.
  • Support for the development of Aboriginal visitor experiences is needed.
  • Positioning Melbourne as a knowledge capital is a priority.
  • Opportunity to increase the impact of friends and relatives visiting international students.
  • Continue to invest in green spaces and infrastructure.
  • Include a more pronounced emphasis on the city’s waterways.
  • Include a more pronounced emphasis on connecting the city to the river and Docklands waterfront.

Examples of what we heard

Impact

Your feedback is helping us revise our Experience Melbourne 2028 plan. This plan will then be recommended for endorsement by the Future Melbourne Committee on 20 August 2024. The vision and priorities articulated will:

  • Enable industry to ensure products and experiences are aligned with Melbourne's strengths which are mapped against top international and domestic visitor market interests.
  • Attract investment in Melbourne. The document will be used as an investment prospectus for future development demonstrating potential growth opportunities.
  • Further diversify Melbourne's offerings so that the full breadth of the visitor economy benefits from increased visitation. This means that the visitor economy does not solely rely on major events and builds a sustainable visitor economy.

Next steps

The final Experience Melbourne 2028 will be presented to Council for endorsement on 20 August 2024.

Experience Melbourne