Geelong is a great place for a Disneyland, say local leaders in tourism and transport
No, we are not taking the Mickey when we say we could be taking the Mickey. Here’s why experts say Geelong could host a Victorian Disneyland.
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Key figures in Geelong tourism and transport say the city could become home to Disneyland after rumours “the happiest place on earth” is looking to set up in Victoria.
The hopes of Australia hosting a Disney theme park were given a big boost late last year when the Walt Disney Company announced plans to spend a staggering $60bn on its experiences, which included investing in more theme parks overseas.
The excitement created by the announcement hit fever pitch in Victoria but rumblings of potential sites in and around Melbourne were largely quashed.
However, stakeholders in Geelong have not fully ruled out the possibility of a Disneyland in the region and Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine executive director Tracy Carter said the idea of Disney choosing a site here made a lot of sense.
“Anything’s possible,” Ms Carter told the Geelong Advertiser.
“We are all pretty optimistic in tourism.”
She labelled the idea as having “pie in the sky potential” at present, but Greater Geelong stood above the rest as a place for Disney to set its sights on.
“I’m not Walt Disney but I could see sense in those things,” Ms Carter said.
She said Geelong’s proximity to Melbourne, booming potential and growth, as well as having a connection to the Avalon Airport were all reasons to invest in the area.
A potential site at Avalon was spruiked by the son of trucking magnate Lindsay Fox in March last year.
David Fox told News Corp he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Disney being part of an entertainment precinct they had earmarked on land near the airport.
On Friday, an Avalon Airport spokeswoman said there was no news yet regarding a possible Disney park as part of the precinct.
Despite this, Ms Carter believes the state government and stakeholders in Greater Geelong were still waiting eagerly to hear from Disney representatives.
“Such a powerful brand would just add enormously to, and support, the broader tourism sector growth,” she said.
“It’s a conversation we would (all) absolutely love to have.”
Ms Carter said a Disney theme park would address issues of “seasonality” for the tourism industry in Geelong, bringing in visitors year-round.
It comes as Geelong is making a push to encourage tourists to extend their daytrips into overnight stays in Geelong.
The “visiting friends and relatives market” currently accounts for about half of all travel to Geelong, with most people travelling to see someone they know who lives in the area.
“I could definitely see a brand like Disney really just turbocharging that kind of visitation,” Ms Carter said.
“If you know someone who lives here, you attach it to a visit.”
She also sees a Disney theme park becoming a catalyst for tourists to go and visit restaurants, wineries and beaches, which would “connect and evolve” markets in Geelong.
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Originally published as Geelong is a great place for a Disneyland, say local leaders in tourism and transport
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