Mildura Tourism has long recognized the value of its Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) market and, in 2009, introduced a campaign to entice local residents to be “tourists in their own town”. The campaign educated and inspired locals, giving them the knowledge and passion to encourage greater VFR numbers to the region. In 2011, “Be a Tourist in Your Own Town” culminated with local residents’ participation increasing by 62.5% since the campaign’s inception, plus a huge 127% jump in the number of Mildura tourism operators who became involved. Tracking growth between the 2009 and 2011 campaigns shows that VFR visitor nights more than doubled, while VFR visitor numbers increased by 32%.

Website: www.visitmildura.com.au