China tourism focus

ARARAT - Promoting the Ararat region as a tourist destination will be high on the agenda when an Ararat Rural City Council delegation visits China this month.

The delegation will include Mayor, Cr Andrea Marian, CEO, Andrew Evans, manager economic development and international relations, Clyde Humphries, conference and events co-ordinator ,Julie Kilpatrick, international relations officer Henry Gunstone and Grampians Pyrenees Wine Co-operative chair, Garry Rice.

The delegation will spend a week in China, visiting Sister City Taishan, the Sister City Conference in Nanchang, Friendship City Ji'an and Guangzhou.

CEO Andrew Evans said council was keen to continue the excellent relationship it has with the Chinese, including its Sister and Friendship Cities.

Ararat has had strong economic, cultural and educational ties with China, but now hopes to include tourism on the list.

"We do have regular delegations visiting Ararat and have strong economic ties with the Chinese," Mr Evans said.

Mr Evans pointed out the many cultural visits made between Ararat and China and exhibitions held in Ararat, including a photographic exhibition currently hosted by the Ararat Regional Art Gallery.

"This cultural side has been going on for 20 years," he said.

"There is also an economic development side, with delegations coming to look at vineyards, agriculture and buying wine. We've sold containers of wine into China and it's wonderful for the vignerons of the region.

"We've made wonderful improvements into these markets."

Mr Evans said the third step is tourism.

"The information I've got from the Australian Tourism Commission is that China is the up and coming market place," he said.

"With the increasing affluence of the Chinese and it being a powerhouse in the world, a lot more are travelling as tourists."

Recent Chinese delegations have shown great interest in the Ararat and Grampians region.

"We need to ramp that up, we've got CDs on the economy, the district, our government structure, but no equivalent on tourism.

"We need to understand how to do that."

During the visit to China Ms Kilpatrick will meet with tourism contacts.