Victoria’s alpine resorts are major contributors to the Victorian visitor economy. To quantify the scale of this contribution, Alpine Resorts Victoria recently commissioned consultants SGS Economics & Planning to deliver a study to obtain reliable knowledge about the economic and social significance of Mt Buller, Falls Creek, Mt Hotham, Mt Stirling, Mt Baw Baw and Lake Mountain. This work revisits and builds upon a similar study by EY for the Alpine Resorts Coordinating Council in 2017.

The 2024 study found that the alpine resort generate:

  • $2.14 billion dollars in economic output annually, with $1.33 billion generated directly by visitor expenditure.
  • 12,130 full-time equivalent jobs.
  • The equivalent of $154 million in annual user and health benefits, including $137 million in improved mental and physical health of resort visitors.
  • $820 million in annual existence benefits - that is, the value people gain from the presence of the alpine resorts even without direct use.
  • $133 million in annual benefits for businesses and workers, consisting of $121 million in business profits and $12 million in benefits for workers.
  • For every $1 of government investment in resort assets, this leverages $4 in private sector investment.

Beyond economic benefits, the study also found that the resorts provide important environmental benefits to the state’s ecosystems through programs run by ARV including renewable energy generation, resource recovery, land stability programs, integrated water management, weed and pest control, biodiversity management and threatened species management.

In addition, Victoria’s alpine resorts offer social benefits like improved wellbeing and physical health, including:

  • Improved physical health for visitors, stemming from participation in activities that contribute to people living healthier and longer lives.
  • Reduced health system costs related to managing diseases linked with physical inactivity.
  • Improved economic productivity due to physically active individuals taking fewer sick days than physically inactive individuals.
View a snapshot of the key findings below:

Page last updated: 08/06/24