Please note: this is an old article
It was published in June 2013, so the information may be out-of-date.
Shepparton is a city that is continuously expanding. With dozens of attractions for those interested in anything from Arts and Entertainment to Agriculture, it's no surprise that more and more people are visiting and enjoying our thriving Goulburn Valley.
The Greater Shepparton region in the year leading up to March 2013 attracted a large amount of visitors. This timeframe comprised many events which were likely key contributors to the number of visitors such as International Dairy Week, the SheppARTon Festival and the SAM for the Golden Age exhibition. Shepparton hosts many events of this nature throughout the year and in doing so successfully draws people to the region.
Shepparton saw a 9.5% increase in visitors with 231,000 domestic overnight visitors having stayed in Shepparton throughout the year ending March 12th, 2013. These visitors spent a total of 555,000 nights in the Greater Shepparton region which is a 3.9% increase. People visited Shepparton for various reasons such as business trips, holidays and leisure or the most commonly listed reason- to visit friends or relatives. Although statistics state that the most popular form of accommodation was a friend or relative's property, motor inns and caravan parks in the area benefited from being other popular overnight choices.
The area has attracted people of all ages, in particular young adults ranging from 25 to 34 years, who made up 27.3% of the yearly visitors. The 15- 34 years age bracket made up 19.9% and 17% were those 65 and older. The most popular activities were visits to friends and relatives, dining at one of the many top-of-the-range restaurants, sightseeing, nightlife such as nightclubs, and shopping.
An obvious benefit to an increased number of visitors being attracted to the region is the expenditure which benefits local businesses. Domestic overnight visitors spent an estimated total of $66 million dollars, an average of $119 per night, and they accounted for 1.6% of nights spent in regional Victoria this past year. Daytrip visitors spent $72 million dollars in the area which averaged at $113 dollars per visitor.
Greater Shepparton is a highly diverse area, catering for people from all areas of the spectrum. With the ever-growing opportunities in this area it is likely that these numbers will continue to rise over coming years and Shepparton will continue to benefit from a steady influx of visitors.