An estimated $12.4 million has been injected into South Australia’s Murray River regions through the River Revival Voucher program, providing support to businesses and communities recovering from the once-in-a-century flooding event during the summer of 2022-23.
In its third and final round, the State Government program generated an estimated $1.7 million in economic impact for the state’s Riverland and Murray River, Lakes & Coorong regions, bringing the total economic impact of the program to an estimated $12.4 million.
The third round saw more than 1,400 bookings made across over 120 accommodation, experience, houseboat, and guided tour providers – with the February to June travel period helping boost visitation and expenditure beyond the peak summer season.
Analysis of the economic impact data showed that for every dollar of State Government investment across the three rounds more than $5 was returned to the regions.
The State Government surveyed those who redeemed a voucher in the third round, with results showing those with a $750 houseboat and guided tour voucher spent an average of $2,666 on top of the value of the voucher. The houseboat voucher was also successful in its aim to increase length of travel, with all visiting with this voucher type spending at least three nights in the Murray River regions.
The survey also found those who used the most popular $200 accommodation voucher spent an average of $750 on top of the value of the voucher – further supporting operators of tours and activities, food and beverage, produce, entertainment and more.
Almost all voucher users are ‘likely or ‘very likely’ to recommend doing something similar without a voucher in future, helping to drive awareness of the diverse tourism products in the Murray River regions.
Latest Tourism Research Australia data shows in the year to March 2024, visitor spend in the Riverland and Murray River, Lakes & Coorong regions reached a combined $501 million – up on the $441 million spent in the year to December 2022, prior to the real impacts of the flooding event.
The voucher program was part of the State Government’s $4.6 million river tourism recovery package announced in November 2022.
