Mentoring Drive Prepares Campaspe Tourism for 2026 Awards

Tourism operators across Campaspe Shire are stepping up their awards ambitions as a wave of expert mentoring, regional training initiatives and council-backed programs positions local businesses to compete strongly at the 2026 Victorian Tourism Awards.

Mentoring Momentum Builds Around Victorian Tourism Awards

Across Victoria, the Victorian Tourism Awards Mentoring Program is providing structured guidance to businesses seeking recognition for excellence, with tailored one-on-one support helping entrants craft stronger submissions and benchmark their performance against state-wide best practice. The program pairs operators with experienced industry mentors who focus on strategy, planning and evaluation, rather than writing submissions on behalf of businesses, which encourages operators to build their own capability and confidence over time.

Publicly available program information indicates that mentoring support is directed at core business categories, providing up to 10 hours of assistance for first-time entrants and up to 6 hours for returning participants. This model is designed to demystify the awards process and lift the overall standard of entries, while reinforcing broader priorities such as sustainable accreditation, quality assurance and improved visitor experiences.

For tourism operators in regional communities such as Campaspe Shire, the mentoring framework is emerging as a key pathway to connect with statewide networks, gain expert feedback and understand how judges assess innovation, community engagement and business resilience. Industry observers note that this support is particularly valuable for smaller operators that may not have internal marketing teams or previous awards experience.

As the 2026 Victorian Tourism Awards cycle approaches, the cumulative impact of recent mentoring rounds is expected to flow through to new and returning entrants from the Echuca Moama area and surrounding towns, adding depth to regional representation in the program.

Campaspe Shire Tourism Businesses Tap Dedicated Support

Within Campaspe Shire, council-led initiatives have been steadily building the foundations for stronger tourism businesses, complementing statewide mentoring efforts tied to the Victorian Tourism Awards. Council material highlights tourism as a mainstay of the local economy, with visitor spending contributing to jobs, investment and the overall vibrancy of towns across the shire.

To help operators navigate regulations, product development and market expectations, Campaspe Shire Council has produced a dedicated guide for new tourism operators and maintains a suite of business tools aimed at those starting or expanding tourism ventures. These resources walk businesses through issues such as defining their market, shaping visitor experiences and planning for growth, which align closely with the assessment criteria used in awards programs.

The Events and Tourism Grant stream, offered on a recurring basis, provides another layer of support by backing initiatives that attract visitors and showcase the region. Public program descriptions indicate that funded activities must demonstrate economic and community benefits, which in practice encourages operators to measure outcomes, refine event concepts and collaborate with local partners. These skills and data points often translate directly into stronger narratives and evidence for award submissions.

Recent council reporting on its economic development and tourism strategy also highlights a heightened focus on the visitor economy, including structured performance indicators and project pipelines designed to grow visitation, extend stays and distribute visitors more widely across the shire. This broader strategic context provides a framework within which individual businesses can align their mentoring goals and awards aspirations.

Visitor Servicing Strategy and Industry Hub Strengthen Readiness

In addition to direct business tools, Campaspe Shire is implementing a Visitor Servicing Strategy intended to guide the evolution of how visitors access information and experiences across the region. Council announcements describe the strategy as a five-year roadmap to improve coordination between attractions, services and facilities, and to ensure that visitor touchpoints from early planning through to post-visit engagement are consistent and high quality.

Consultation for the strategy has drawn on local operators, regional partners and visitor servicing staff, with a focus on emerging trends and best practice in destination information, digital channels and on-the-ground support. For tourism businesses eyeing the Victorian Tourism Awards in 2026, this policy backbone offers clear signals about the standards and priorities shaping the region’s tourism story, from accessibility and inclusion to sustainability and dispersal to smaller communities.

Alongside this strategic work, the Tourism Industry Hub jointly promoted by Campaspe Shire Council and Murray River Council operates as a central information point for operators on both sides of the river. The hub collates training opportunities, marketing resources, visitor servicing tools, grant information and research insights, making it easier for time-poor businesses to identify mentoring, workshops and networking events that will move the needle on quality and innovation.

By consolidating access to industry development resources, the hub reduces barriers to participation in state and regional programs, including mentoring initiatives related to the Victorian Tourism Awards. This environment of shared learning and easily accessible support helps smaller operators in particular to prepare for awards participation with a clearer understanding of trends, benchmarks and visitor expectations.

Regional and State Programs Add Extra Layers of Mentoring

Beyond council initiatives, statewide programs are adding further mentoring capacity for regional tourism businesses that may be considering an awards submission in 2026. The Regional Tourism Industry Development Program, administered through the Victorian government, provides funding to visitor economy partnerships and regional tourism boards to deliver training and industry-strengthening projects across the state.

Current program outlines reference mentoring and support for businesses entering the Victorian Tourism Awards as one of several targeted measures available to regional operators. These activities sit alongside broader business skills mentoring and professional development efforts, which are designed to help tourism enterprises meet modern visitor expectations in areas such as digital presence, accessibility, experience design and service quality.

For the Campaspe region, which forms part of a wider Loddon Campaspe visitor economy known for river-based tourism, heritage attractions and food and wine experiences, this type of structured support can help local businesses differentiate themselves in competitive award categories. Operators are encouraged through these programs to articulate their unique value, demonstrate data-driven decision-making and showcase collaborations with community groups, which align with judging frameworks for both regional and state awards.

The layering of government-backed mentoring, regional training initiatives and private advisory services means that Campaspe tourism businesses have multiple avenues to refine their operations ahead of the 2026 awards cycle, whether they are first-time entrants or returning participants building on prior feedback.

Rising Profile for Campaspe in Victoria’s Visitor Economy

Campaspe Shire’s tourism profile has been steadily rising within Victoria’s broader visitor economy, supported by investment in trails, riverside experiences and heritage precincts as well as growing attention to destination marketing. Council reporting notes that its tourism team has already been recognised in recent Victorian Tourism Awards cycles, signalling that the region’s approach to strategy and delivery is resonating with state-level judges.

As mentoring and industry development programs continue to roll out, local tourism operators are increasingly equipped to convert that strategic recognition into category-level business awards, which can in turn drive additional visitation and private investment. Awards participation is often cited by operators as a catalyst for reviewing business plans, tightening financial and operational metrics, and investing in staff training that lifts service standards.

Looking ahead to the 2026 Victorian Tourism Awards, the combination of council initiatives, regional partnerships and formal mentoring pathways places Campaspe Shire businesses in a stronger position to put forward compelling, evidence-based submissions. For visitors, the real-world impact is likely to be experienced in more polished products, clearer information, and experiences that reflect both the character of the Murray River region and contemporary expectations for quality tourism.

While competition for recognition is expected to be strong across Victoria, the groundwork underway in Campaspe suggests that operators from Echuca, Kyabram, Rochester and smaller communities are increasingly ready to showcase their strengths on a statewide stage, supported by expert guidance and a maturing visitor economy framework.