Attractions providing a tourism boost for city

By Max Stainkamph

Jan 9, 2022

Build it and they will come: The new Shepparton Art Museum has been a major tourist drawcard. Photo: Megan Fisher Photo by Megan Fisher

It’s the closest Victoria has had to a normal summer of travelling for some time and Shepparton is becoming more of a hotspot for people travelling.

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While international and most interstate borders are open, travel testing requirements and the Omicron variant is still driving more people to travel intrastate.

Tourism Greater Shepparton president Ingrid Thomas said it was giving Shepparton a chance to stamp itself on the Victorian travel map.

And it’s doing so.

Mrs Thomas said the opening of the Shepparton Art Museum and Kialla’s Museum of Vehicle Evolution in recent months was “feeding a lot of that travel”.

“We’ve had two summers of COVID and the summer before that was the bushfires, so it’s been three without major travel,” she said.

“We’re definitely seeing more people.”

She said it was a different crowd of people travelling to Shepparton.

“We’re seeing a lot of regulars and former locals but it’s not just people visiting family,” Mrs Thomas said.

“It’s not just people who’ve come back to see Nan, it’s people who’ve made the decision to come to Shepparton.

“SAM and MOVE and the art silo trail are really helping encourage people to come to the region.”