Ballarat's heritage tourism industry generates $680 million for the regional economy

Ballarat's heritage tourism industry generated $680 million for the regional economy in the past year, with 2.1 million visitors drawn to the city's extraordinary concentration of goldfields-era heritage — anchored by Sovereign Hill, one of Australia's most-visited tourism attractions — and supported by a growing food, beverage, and arts scene that extends the length of visitors' stays and their spending per day.

Sovereign Hill recorded 418,000 visitors during the year, maintaining its position as regional Victoria's most-visited paid tourism attraction. Chief executive Anne Dowd said the attraction's investment in immersive experiences, including expanded gold panning, period theatre, and the sound and light show Aura, had lengthened average visit times and increased repeat visitation from Victorian families. International visitors, particularly from China and Europe, had returned to pre-pandemic levels and were growing.

The Art Gallery of Ballarat, which holds one of Australia's finest regional collections and has a national and international exhibition program, attracted 185,000 visitors — its highest figure since the pre-COVID period — following a major building expansion that doubled its gallery space and created a new education centre. Director Ted Gott said the expanded program had positioned Ballarat as a destination for art tourism in its own right, not merely an addition to a Sovereign Hill visit.

Ballarat's hospitality sector — including heritage accommodation in restored mining-era buildings, a wine bar and restaurant precinct in Sturt Street, and a growing craft brewery and distillery scene — captured a growing share of tourism spend as accommodation and dining options diversified beyond what had been available to visitors a decade ago.

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