The Monthly Drop
August 2026 – CEO Message
There are some positive shoots emerging as we head towards spring – and now is the time to capitalise on them.
The latest consumer results have lifted 1.5 points to 76.5 – the highest result since March. While there is still plenty of work to do, it is encouraging to see consumer confidence moving in the right direction at exactly the time we are preparing to significantly increase The Goulburn Region’s presence in market.
Spring will see the launch of our Awaken in The Goulburn Region campaign, inviting visitors to get out, explore and experience a region coming alive again. As part of the campaign, The Goulburn Region will feature in Visit Victoria’s Official Visitor Guide to Melbourne and Victoria, putting our destination in front of a forecast annual readership of 2.88 million people, alongside its substantial digital audience.
And there is much more happening.
A major focus for us is Connect 26 – our first Goulburn Region industry forum, on 19 October.
Connect 26 is about exactly what its name suggests: connecting our businesses to each other, connecting industry with our new regional brand, and ultimately connecting all of us more effectively with our customers.
It will be a day focused on growth – sharing ideas, building relationships and looking at the practical opportunities we have to grow both our individual businesses and the visitor economy of The Goulburn Region.
Connect 26 will also mark an important milestone for Goulburn Region Tourism as we officially launch The Goulburn Region brand and our new consumer website. These are much more than new marketing assets. They give us, for the first time, a strong regional identity and a dedicated platform through which we can tell our collective story, inspire visitation and connect consumers with the businesses and experiences across our region. This directly delivers on one of the major priorities identified for the region: building a recognisable regional brand and a unified digital presence.
Connect 26 is free to attend, and registrations will open in the next couple of weeks. Put 19 October in your diary now – we want to see as many businesses from across the region represented as possible.
And because sometimes the best way to convince Melbourne to come to The Goulburn is to take The Goulburn to Melbourne, we’re also planning another foray into Collins Street. It will be another opportunity to put our region, our businesses, our produce and our stories directly in front of a city audience.
There is a real sense of momentum building: improving consumer sentiment, a new spring campaign, greater exposure through Visit Victoria, our first industry forum, the launch of our brand and website, and another opportunity to take The Goulburn into the heart of Melbourne.
The opportunity now is to make that momentum count.
Want to be involved in Connect 26, our campaigns, the website, Collins Street or other opportunities to showcase the region? Just let us know. The more of our industry that gets behind this work, the stronger the story we can take to market.
Spring is coming. It’s time to Awaken The Goulburn.