Recreational Fishing Tourism Strategy
As part of the State Government’s Go Fishing Victoria plan (phase two), the Victorian Fisheries Authority has developed a recreational fishing tourism strategy based on 10 destinations:
- West Coast Blue Barrels
- Burnanga trail
- Lake Eildon cod mecca
- Australian bass trail
- Gippsland Lakes, Lake Tyers, Lakes Entrance and Mallacoota Inlet
- High Country
- Sunset Country
- Southwest trophy lakes and Grampians
- Central Highlands trail
- Port Phillip Bay
This strategy, which involves the implementation of 53 recommendations over the next five years, provides the vision, goals and priority areas for developing fishing as a key contributor to Victoria’s visitor economy.
It will encourage more people to fish more often and entice inbound and intrastate visitor markets to fish these destinations and stay longer.
The strategy’s primary goal is for Victoria to become Australia’s premier multi-species, multi-region fishing tourism destination that combines everything the state has to offer with outstanding fishing experiences.
The opportunity to grow the number of fishers and the amount of money they spend in the state is significant.
In the longer term, the opportunities for increased commercial operations should see significant private investment to match that of government in growing the products and experiences based around fishing tourism. This will lead to:
- extended length of stay;
- repeat visitation;
- fishers bringing friends and family on their trip;
- markets trying new/other fishing destinations;
- increased participation in other activities within the destination;
- increased regional dispersal to different fishing destinations;
- increased spend per visit through purchasing add on experiences delivered through commercial operators; and
- increased visitation during non-peak periods.
You can read the strategy here: