It is the first time the city has been promoted in Destinations Victoria, a glossy guide for interstate and international visitors.

The magazine can be found in Melbourne and regional Victorian hotel and motel rooms and national and international airport lounges, as well as tourist-frequented cafes in Australian capital cities.

Warrnambool City councillor Tony Herbert pushed for the region to be promoted in the publication, which also includes partial translation into Chinese.

“We are getting ourselves out there,” Cr Herbert said.

“We are telling tourists why they should come and visit.” 

Cr Herbert said the magazine had a print run of 28,000.

The double-page spread on Warrnambool highlights the city’s natural assets and includes stunning images of the whale viewing platform, the foreshore, Flagstaff Hill, a market and the Pavilion Bar and Cafe. 

Warrnambool also features several times throughout the 180-page magazine with extra pictures highlighting what the city has to offer.

“It’s encouraging tourists to get out and see the regions a bit further,” he said.

“It’s really important to market Warrnambool as a natural destination. Ballarat and Bendigo show off their architectural history. We are getting ourselves out there.” 

Warrnambool City Council’s visitor economy manager David McMahon said the Destinations Victoria promotion was one way the council was promoting the city to visitors.

“In partnership with Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism we promote Warrnambool across a whole range of publications and digital platforms and the Destinations Victoria is but one,” he said.

“We also had great success in March with the Jet Star in-flight magazine and the ‘I am Warrnambool’  campaign is being rolled out across the city and the region in partnership with GORRT.”

Mr McMahon said the Visit Warrnambool website also highlighted the city’s assets with videos and tourism campaigns.