“We are doing more and more work in the international market,” he said.

“International visitors are projected to keep increasing and those markets and visitors are high spenders, so we want those people in the Bendigo region as a result. 

“We were pleased to see (overseas visitor spending) has increased over last number of years.”

Mr Harvey said Bendigo Tourism had been a part of the Australian Tourism Exchange this year where they met one-on-one with wholesalers and retailers to promote Bendigo internationally.

“We are hoping they will on-sell it. We have also hosted international media and travel agents with the aim building Bendigo’s profile internationally.

“This year we formed a partnership with Echuca, to encourage visitors to Bendigo and Echuca who stay overnight. 

“Bendigo is also promoted as one of the stops on the Sydney to Melbourne heritage drive, which is promoted internationally.”

Mr Harvey said Bendigo Tourism had also altered the targeted demographics and countries in its marketing.

“Traditionally we have targeted the western market – Europe, the UK and the US by promoting the Sydney-to-Melbourne tourism route,” he said.

“More recently we promoting Bendigo to south-east Asia – Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and China – as a short break destination from Melbourne.

“China is an area we have been focusing on as a long term project. A majority (of Chinese tourists) are still coming to Melbourne but not going beyond the city or day trips to bigger attractions like the Great Ocean Road.” 

Bendigo Tourism Board chair Kath Bolitho said encouraged marketing and development activities that focus on the region as a whole.

“(This) was identified as a key area of opportunity within the recent Destination Management Plan,” she said.

“By working to attract people to the region, we know that we can encourage visitors to use Bendigo as a ‘home base’ and then move in and out of the connecting areas.”

EARLIER: Overseas tourists visiting the Goldfields in 2017 spent $46 million during their stays.

International Visitation and Expenditure data released by Tourism Research Australia and Business Victoria says more than 2.8 million overseas visitors spent time in Victoria and spent $7.6 billion in the past year.

Regional Victoria growth rates were above the national regional average growth rates: spend (+7.2 per cent), visitors (+4.4 per cent) and nights (+8.1 per cent). 

The Goldfields region – which includes Bendigo, Ballarat and the Loddon reigion – had 49,900 international overnight visitors for the year – a 9.3 per cent share of the 535,700 international overnight visitors to regional Victoria.

Overseas tourists still tend to prefer day trips to the Goldfields region with 175,700 people getting out of the city for the day during their holidays.

Almost 56,000 international visitors chose to spend a day trip in the Bendigo-Loddon area in the last 12 months.

International overnight expenditure in regional Victoria increased by 18.6 per cent year-on-year to reach $557 million. 

Spending in the Goldfields ($46 million) was the highest it has been since 2012 when overseas visitors spent $42 million.

Chinese tourists made up 598,200 of the 2.8 million overseas visitors to Victoria.

New Zealand (333,300), the United Kingdom (229,500) and America (223,400) were also prominent visitors to Australia in 2017.