- Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events
Wine enthusiasts and lovers of unique getaway experiences will have the chance to sleep amongst the vines as part of a luxury pop-up to be delivered at three wineries across the state.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula was at Federation Square today for a sneak peek at one of the converted shipping containers which will be dropped into vineyards to help drive visitation in regional Victoria in the wake of the summer's bushfires.
The Wine Down Pop Up project will see the luxury pods placed at Seville Estate in the Yarra Valley (28 February-28 March), Montalto on the Mornington Peninsula (3 April- 2 May) and All Saints Estate in Rutherglen (8 May-7 June).
Each winery will offer accommodation in two converted shipping containers plus a hot tub and special wine bar, accompanied by a virtual-reality experience to inspire travel to other wine regions in Victoria.
The containers will be powered by solar generators, making Wine Down Pop Up a carbon neutral operation.
In 2019, the project proved an overwhelming success with 95 per cent occupancy across three months at vineyard locations in the King Valley, Macedon and South Gippsland.
The Andrews Labor Government is backing the regional tourism industry in the wake of recent bushfires with increased marketing activities from Visit Victoria, a Bushfire Recovery round of the Regional Events Fund and the Business & Sport for Bushfire Recovery program which has seen more than 220 companies come on board.
Tourism is an important employer in regional Victoria, supporting more than 90,000 jobs.
In the year ending September 2019, regional Victoria welcomed more than 60 million domestic and international visitors, who spent an estimated $11.5 billion.
Visit Victoria has partnered with sustainable designers Contained to deliver Wine Down Pop Up for a second year, with bookings available at contained.com.au/hotel.
As noted by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula
"Now is the time to book your regional Victorian getaway, because a short stay really does go a long way."
"Wine Down Pop Up offers a unique experience and will help to support tourism businesses and workers from across the state."
As noted by Minister for Regional Development Jaclyn Symes
"Clever initiatives like Wine Down Pop Up are invaluable in promoting our stunning wine regions, and that helps to grow jobs and keep local communities strong."
As noted by Visit Victoria chief executive Brendan McClements
"Regional Victoria has attractions and accommodation for visitors of every description, and this is a terrific temporary addition to our offerings."
