A range of innovative projects designed to highlight the appeal of Australian wine regions to the international market are set to share in a $7.4 million funding pool, which includes $2.8 million in Turnbull Government support.
Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Anne Ruston congratulated the 21 successful applicants chosen by Wine Australia to receive grants.
“The winning projects have each demonstrated innovation and creativity in showcasing Australia’s diverse and unique wine tourism experiences,” Minister Ruston said.
“Australia can boast a sensational wine reputation world-wide, but to maintain that status, we need to keep thinking outside the box to keep the attention of our international markets.
“The best way we can convince the world of our quality wine and make them ambassadors forever is to immerse them in an unforgettable experience in our regions.
“And it won’t just be our local wineries that benefit from these new tourism initiatives – so will local businesses and the whole community.”
Grant recipients have agreed to match the funding from government on a minimum dollar for dollar basis, doubling the impact for the regions.
The wine industry has set itself ambitious targets to increase wine exports to $3.5 billion and attract an additional 40,000 international tourists to Australian wine regions over the next three years.
“The Turnbull Government is delighted to support Australia’s world class wine industry to increase exports and drive international visitors to our interesting and diverse regions through our $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package, as announced in last year’s Budget.” Minister Ruston said.
“This is a package designed to further tourism opportunities and reinvest back into regional jobs.”