The Otway Odyssey has received a $5,000 funding grant from the Brumby Government’s Country Victoria Events Program (CVEP), Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney announced today.
“Events and festivals such as the Otway Odyssey contribute to the prosperity, growth and community spirit of regional areas,” Ms Tierney said.
“They are a fantastic way of boosting the profile of the Otways and drawing new and return visitors to the area and its many attractions,” she said.
The Otway Odyssey is a mass participation mountain bike event comprising of three ride options held in the Otway Ranges in February. The event concludes with a large outdoor expo.
Ms Tierney said that tourism contributes $3.4 billion to the regional economy each year, and is responsible for 61,000 jobs.
“The Brumby Government is working hard to grow the terrific range of events regional Victoria is renowned for, which is why more than half of Tourism Victoria’s $1.5 million annual events funding is used to support events staged in regional areas,” she said.
The CVEP is a $150,000 annual program that supports smaller regional events and festivals. It is focused on events that draw on the tourism product strengths of the region and are likely to attract visitors from outside the local area.
To receive funding from the CVEP, events must have local community support, with matching funding provided by local government or local tourism organisations.
Seventeen events have received funding from the October 2008 round of allocations.
For more information about the Country Victoria Events Program visit www.tourism.vic.gov.au.