Industry Support

Do you run a business in Hepburn Shire that caters to visitors? The following information relates to business support and the opportunities for promotion that are available to you.

Visitor Information Centres

Hepburn Shire's Visitor Information Centres (VICs) are a fantastic resource for people to learn about things to see and do in our region. Hepburn Shire Council operates VICs in Daylesford, Trentham, Creswick, and Clunes. The locations, hours, and contact numbers are listed below in our website footer.

Eligible businesses have the opportunity to stock their flyers or brochures in our VICs, and it's worth keeping our Visitor Services Team up to date with your business details, service availability, changes to opening hours, and changes of ownership. This will ensure that our volunteers are providing visitors with the most up-to-date information about your business. If you're holding an event that will be of interest to visitors, there is also the opportunity to be included in our weekly What's On eNewsletter.

For any enquiries, contact the Visitor Services Team on (03) 5321 6123 or email tourism@hepburn.vic.gov.au

Volunteering at one of our VICs is a great way to tap into everything happening across the Shire. If you can spare three or four hours a week (or even once or twice a month), find out how to get involved here.

Social media opportunities

As a tourism business, we encourage you to:

Follow Visit Hepburn Shire on Facebook and Instagram
Share our posts and engage with them by 'liking' or commenting
Tag us (@visithepburnshire) when you publish a post or invite us to be a collaborator. We try and share as many posts by local tourism businesses as possible.

Listing your business or event on our website

Eligible businesses can list their business or event on the Visit Hepburn Shire website by setting up a profile on ATDW – Australia's national tourism information database and distribution platform.

ATDW's function is to help you maximise your exposure online and attract more business. Having an ATDW profile provides online exposure at a national, state, and regional level. Your business details will appear on key tourism marketing platforms such as visitvictoria.com and australia.com, as well as at a local level on the Visit Hepburn Shire website. To find out more, watch this ATDW webinar presentation(PDF, 7MB).

All listings for accommodation, dining, and attractions on the Visit Hepburn Shire website are taken directly from ATDW. A fee of $295 per annum applies for businesses to sign up with ATDW and create a listings profile. Once your profile is set up and approved, you will automatically appear on our website.

There is no cost to create an events profile on ATDW and list eligible events, which will then appear on the Visit Hepburn Shire website events calendar. You can find a simple guide to creating an ATDW events profile on the Visit Victoria website.

Retail opportunities for artisans

Are you a local maker or artisan looking for opportunities to stock your handmade products in Daylesford or Creswick? You may be eligible for a retail space in one of our Visitor Information Centres. To find out more, please email: tourism@hepburn.vic.gov.au.

Destination Central Victoria membership

Destination Central Victoria (formerly Daylesford Macedon Tourism) is the peak industry body for tourism in Hepburn Shire, the Macedon Ranges, Mount Alexander Shire, and the Central Goldfields. It works to promote the region as a whole and to help tourism operators thrive. To find out about membership opportunities and benefits, email: info@dmrtourism.com.au.

Tourism Midwest Victoria membership

Tourism Midwest Victoria (TMV) is the peak body responsible for growing and strengthening Midwest Victoria’s visitor economy. TMV supports its industry partners through broad tourism initiatives, the creation of experiences and products, and an annual calendar of marketing activities. If you are located in the west of Hepburn Shire (Creswick and Clunes) and have a profile with ATDW, you're eligible for a free industry partnership with TMV. Email:hello@tourismmidwestvic.com.au for more details.

Djuwang Baring Business Ready Ride Guide

With the expected increase in visitors to the region following the recent opening of Djuwang Baring (Creswick Trails), Hepburn Shire Council has produced a guide to provide businesses with a better understanding of the mountain biking industry and some ideas for business growth. The guide provides information on:

The mountain biking industry as a whole and why it's a big deal

What goes into creating a thriving mountain bike destination

How to build a mountain bike-ready business

The many marketing opportunities around mountain biking

Adaptive riding and how you can support this segment of the market

Successful mountain bike business case studies.

Download the Business Ready Ride Guide here(PDF, 9MB).

Improving accessibility

Visit Hepburn Shire Council's Improving Accessibility web page to find out how to make your business or event accessible to the widest possible audience.