Visitor campaign attracting interest

A campaign to attract more visitors and events to Baw Baw Shire is gaining traction with some major attractions ahead and hits on the “Visit Baw Baw” website showing strong interest from metropolitan based people.

A tag line “closer than you think” is being used to highlight the shire’s proximity to Melbourne.

The campaign will gain further impetus on Thursday night at a function being hosted by the shire in Melbourne to promote the area to city-based tourist businesses, relevant government departments and other enterprises.

It will build on the ambassador role of former AFL player Bob Murphy, who grew up in Warragul, and a radio advertising campaign that has been running over recent months.

Shire executive manager communications and economic development Mark Kestigian said the Discover Baw Baw function would highlight the food, wine and natural attractions within easy reach of Melbourne for day trips and weekend stays as well as some large events programmed in the near future.

These include the first venture by the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival into the shire next month with the World’s Longest Lunch at Lardner Park on March 15, and The Village Feast at Jindivick the following day.

Another first coming up for the shire is the World Jousting Championships, complete with a medieval village, to be held over the weekend of June 1 and 2 at Lardner Park which Mr Kestigian expects could draw as many as 10,000 people.

He said these followed the spotlight being on the shire several times in the past couple of months with a Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) match, Victorian country swimming championships and a stage finish of the Herald-Sun cycling tour all held at Warragul.