Greater Dandenong museum services officer Alison Carpenter, mayor Maria Sampey and tourism minister John Pandazopoulos with the latest edition of Victoria’s Cultural Guide.GREATER Dandenong is listed as one of the state’s most important cultural regions in the latest edition of Victoria’s Cultural Guide.
Tourism minister and Dandenong MP John Pandazopoulos said Greater Dandenong was gaining recognition in the tourism industry as a thriving multicultural metropolis.
“The City of Greater Dandenong is Australia’s most multicultural city and plays host to more than 60 festivals and events that celebrate its cultural diversity every year,” Mr Pandazopoulos said.
These festivals are listed in the cultural guide, along with some of Dandenong’s other attractions including Heritage Hill and the Walker Street Gallery.
The guide promotes arts and cultural heritage attractions across Melbourne and in regional areas.
“Victoria has a wealth of galleries, unique heritage assets, a calendar of worldclass events and an ability to attract and host large scale theatre productions and exhibitions,” Mr Pandazopoulos said.
“What many people don’t realise is that arts and cultural attractions are part of the fabric of life in outer metropolitan cities such as Dandenong, as well as the regional centres.
“The unique historical precinct of Heritage Hill in the heart of Dandenong gives visitors insight into Dandenong’s transformation from a rural market town to a bustling, multicultural metropolis.”
Mr Pandazopoulos said cultural tourism was an important part of Victoria’s $10.6 billion tourism industry.
“We should take pride and recognise the great assets we have in our own backyard in the City of Greater Dandenong,” Mr Pandazopoulos said.
“With the opening of the fourstar Ramada Encore Hotel, and the new performing arts centre, The Drum Theatre, Greater Dandenong now has additional attractions that will bring visitors to the city.”
Mr Pandazopoulos said statistics from the Tourism and Transport Forum’s Tourism Employment Atlas, 2,500 people worked in tourismrelated jobs in the City of Greater Dandenong.
Victoria’s Cultural Guide is a free publication, available at the Melbourne Visitor Centre at Federation Square, regional tourism offices, hotels, railway stations, airports, and visitor information centres throughout Victoria.
