The Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation has welcomed a push to develop a cultural tourism strategy in the Loddon Campapse region.
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Infrastructure Victoria released its draft 30-year strategy last week, which provided 95 recommendations to the state government.
One of those recommendations was for the government to work with Traditional Owners to develop an Aboriginal tourism strategy.
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The agency said that would boost the flagging tourism sector as well as support local Indigenous people.
Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation general manager for economic development Steve Jackson said a new strategy could be great for the region.
"We would certainly welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the state government on a cultural tourism strategy and put them into effect in central Victoria," he said.
"We have previously responded to the state government's expression of interest in regional tourism and economic development.
"We would support that advocacy and offer to develop that for central Victoria, utilising our existing strategy and initiatives as a platform for a far more expansive holistic approach in central Victoria."
Mr Jackson said the organisation was already boosting cultural tourism in the region through collaborating on projects like the new law courts and GovHub.
He said the Dja Dja Wurrung were also working with the Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning and Parks Victoria to provide more information to support tour operators.
"The opportunity is now, with the support of the state government, to enable the development of commercial cultural tourism," Mr Jackson said.
Mr Jackson said there needed to be processes in place to ensure it was economically viable not only for the region, but also the Dja Dja Wurrung people.
He said the state government should act quickly.
"The experience with COVID-19 and the approach to economic recovery across Australia will advantage local tourism and regional tourism," Mr Jackson said.
"It is therefore a priority for the state to invest in the expediting of what has until now been an organic market developing.
"It is absolutely appropriate to tell people to spend money in Australia, but you need to build the value of tourism product.
"Cultural tourism is the untapped market. They need to invest in it pretty quickly to take advantage of this opportunity."