Tourism Research Australia has released the latest quarterly report regarding domestic visitors and the recent data reveals that The Great Ocean Road is the top destination for domestic tourists in Victoria when it comes to overnight spending.

A regional overview of Victoria’s domestic visitor economy shows overnight spending for the quarter ending March 2025 was highest for the Great Ocean Road, at a total of $520 million.

Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism general manager Liz Price reported that the team was working to have an “always-on strategy”, with the region experiencing a strong summer and a very clear off-peak period.

Data for the Great Ocean Road tourism region’s international visitor economy for the year ending March 2025 shows there was a 41-per-cent increase in nights spent from the previous year. The total of 950,000 is similar to pre-Covid levels.

There was also a 13-per-cent increase in international visitors to the Great Ocean Road at a tally of 153,000. This is up from the previous year, but 38 per cent below pre-Covid levels. The region experienced a seven-per-cent decrease in spending from the previous year, totalling $121 million.

The GORRT focus for the cooler months will be on highlighting the region’s natural attractions as well as the food scene, with a spotlight on the local produce available in the area, while launching a campaign to drive visitation to drought-affected towns. Throughout the winter season the GORRT team are also working to market the range of accommodation available in the region, targeting markets like Geelong and western Melbourne, encouraging domestic travel in the off season along with building on the international markets, with GORRT reporting good growth coming out of south-east Asia and a continuation on working on the traditional markets of America, UK and Europe.

Sources: Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism, Tourist Research Australia, Colac Herald