Contents

  1. Accolades
  2. Infrastructure
  3. Attractions
  4. Transport and Access
  5. Areas of Excellence
  6. Climate

Quick Facts

One of the world's leading travel guides, Frommer's, selected Melbourne in its top destinations for 2010.

Accolades

  • The Economist Intelligence Unit has selected Melbourne as the 'World's Most Liveable City' three times since 2002, and has also placed Melbourne in the top three 'World's Most Liveable Cities' every year since 2002.
  • Melbourne was named a UNESCO City of Literature in 2008 - only the second city in the world to receive this accolade.
  • The New York Times Style Magazine declared Melbourne as Australia's cultural capital in 2009.
  • Melbourne was the number one destination in 2009 to which Australians would like to take an overnight holiday in the next two years, according to Roy Morgan Research.
  • In the FutureBrand 2009 Country Brand Index, Australia was selected as 'Best Country Brand to Extend a Business Trip'.

Infrastructure

  • Melbourne has more than 24,400 accommodation rooms located in the Melbourne Tourist Region with approximately 15,400 of these rooms located within the City of Melbourne and 9,495 in the Central Business District.
  • Melbourne has Australia's most flexible meeting facilities with the new Melbourne Convention Centre, which opened in June 2009. The new 6 Star Green Star energy rated Centre boasts a 5,553 seat plenary hall, 32 meeting rooms, a grand banquet room, foyer for 8,400 guests, and is within a five minute walking distance of five major convention hotels.

Attractions

  • Melbourne is Australia's culinary capital with more than 3,000 restaurants, cafés and bars, serving around 75 different ethnic cuisines.
  • Melbourne is a truly global destination for major events, and is home to five of the six most significant annual sport events held in Australia - the Australian Football League Grand Final, the Melbourne Cup, the Australian Open Tennis Championships, the Boxing Day Cricket Test and the Australian Formula 1™ Grand Prix.
  • Additionally, the city is alive with a year-round calendar of annual festivals and shows such as the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and Melbourne International Arts Festival.
  • Melbourne has an entire precinct dedicated to sports and was recognised as Best Sports City in the world in the 2009 SportBusiness Sports Event Management Awards.
  • Melbourne is one of the most cosmopolitan and multicultural cities in the world, with 140 nations represented, 100 religious faiths and 180 different languages, each enriching the cultural life of the city.
  • The State of Victoria has five wine growing regions and more than 100 wineries within 90 minutes of Melbourne city.
  • Melbourne is famous for its many and varied shopping experiences including outdoor markets, international boutiques, and local designers in historic laneways. The city was named in the top seven most fashion-forward cities by leading New York fashion magazine Nylon (The Nylon Book of Global Style).

Transport and Access

  • Melbourne International Airport is open 24 hours, is curfew free and operates approximately 520 international flights and 3,200 domestic flights per week.
  • Melbourne Airport was named the 'Low Cost Airport of the Year' in 2009 (Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation).
  • Melbourne offers a free City Circle Tourist Tram and Tourist Shuttle Bus for travelling around the city. These services link with other tram, train and light rail services in and around Melbourne.
  • Melbourne's compact city grid network and transport facilities allow easy access to all major hotels, meeting venues and local attractions. Many venues can be reached on foot.

Areas of Excellence

  • Melbourne is a founding partner of the BestCities Global Alliance - an international convention bureau network dedicated to the delivery of the world's best service experience for the meetings industry. www.bestcities.net
  • Victoria is home to 139 biotech companies, 13 major medical research institutes, seven teaching hospitals and nine universities (DIIRD SGV, April 2009).
  • Melbourne researchers and institutions have developed breakthrough products such as the Relenza anti-flu vaccine, the Gardasil cervical cancer vaccine, the cochlear implant, which has provided hearing for thousands of people throughout the world, and the atomic absorption spectrometer.

Climate

  • Melbourne has a hospitable, temperate climate with one of Australia's lowest rainfalls.