One liner will dock in Portland harbour for a one-day stop in February 2013 with a similar visit also penciled in for the same month in 2014.

Cape Nelson Lighthouse, Princess Margaret Rose Caves and Port Fairy have all been cited as potential one-day destinations for tourists disembarking from cruise ships docked in Portland.

Australian Outback Tourism group chief executive Andrew Burnes said international cruise ship corporations such as Hapag Lloyd had flagged interest in docking in Portland.

He said the south-west's vineyards, golf courses and natural tourist locales were a drawcard for visitors wanting to stretch their legs and see regional Victoria.

"These are major cruise operators so there will be a substantial number of people hoping off the liner in Portland and travelling out to a number of locations across south-west Victoria," Mr Burnes said.

Wannon MP Dan Tehan said Portland was a logical place to dock given it has a deep-water port and within close range of a number of tourist attractions. He said the potential for growth in cruise ship visitations was an exciting prospect for south-west tourism operators.

"It's fantastic news for the region," Mr Tehan said.

"Bus trips can be organised to a number of destinations including the Twelve Apostles and the Grampians."

Mr Burnes said he had known Mr Tehan since the Wannon MP worked as Tourism Minister Fran Bailey's chief-of-staff in the Howard government and had discussed the potential of cruise ship tourism in the south-west for more than a year.

Glenelg Shire tourism officer Liz Foreman said the council had been working for a number of years to secure tourist vessels in the port predominately used by freight ships.

She said Portland businesses would rake in the revenue from the influx of tourists looking to shop, dine or sightsee in the city and the wider region.