Victoria loses major tourism drawcard after government refuses Albert Park move

Dimopoulos added that Victoria had offered to increase marketing money and fan experience, but organizers wanted the race to be held close to a major city.

“We met all other demands,” Dimpoulos said.

“We covered the licensing fee. We covered everything else. We actually went above and beyond that because we offered to improve the marketing and the fan experience, really grow the event based on the fact that 91,000 people were there last year, which was the best in 13 years.”

“They agreed to all of this, but their final request was for the event to be moved to the city.”

In a statement, the government said the government had agreed to provide additional funding to help Dorna Sports create a “bigger, better event beyond 2026”, but only if the event remained on Phillip Island. The race will now move to South Australia.

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Destination Philip Island regional tourism chairman Jeff Webb said he had not received approval from anyone yet, but said it would be a huge loss for the region.

“This has dealt a significant blow to tourism in the region and will have a major impact on accommodation, retail and local employment,” he said.

“It also reduces Victoria’s international visibility. We have been working with government, council and stakeholders for six months to continue the event, which contributes significantly to the local economy.

“Our focus now is to identify tourist initiatives to compensate for this loss.”

Owned by Dorna Sports clearly evaluated It has been racing more on street circuits since it was bought by Formula 1 owners Liberty Media last year.

In January, a government source familiar with the negotiations said: Age It was stated that Spain-based Dorna Sports requested that the event be moved to Albert Park in inner Melbourne if the contract is renewed.

Motorcycle tracks generally require more space than Formula 1 tracks so that crashed drivers can slide into large escape areas to minimize injury.

Many of the barriers at Albert Park are close to the track, meaning motorcycle racing will likely require track widening and tree felling; This will anger locals and cost millions of dollars.

The event had a long-standing connection with Phillip Island and was the scene of many historic victories by local cyclists including Mick Doohan and Casey Stoner.

Last year’s MotoGP attracted 93,000 fans – the highest figure since 2012 and an increase of 10,000 from 2024.

The last Australian Grand Prix under Phillip Island’s current 10-year contract will be held from Friday 23 October to Sunday 25 October this year.

“This October will be the 30th anniversary and we will give it the best send off,” Dimopoulos said.

“It’s going to be a massive event. Last year the crowd was 91,000 people, we hope to see over 100,000 people at this event as it will effectively be a send-off.”

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