Geelong serves as the gateway city for Great Ocean Road tourism as visitor numbers recover

Geelong is the natural gateway city for visitors arriving to experience the Great Ocean Road, Australia's most famous scenic drive, which begins just 20 kilometres south of the city at Torquay and stretches 243 kilometres to Allansford near Warrnambool. The volume of traffic that this status generates — millions of visitors per year from Melbourne, interstate and internationally — creates economic opportunity that Geelong is increasingly capturing through improved visitor infrastructure and a hospitality offer that can persuade Great Ocean Road visitors to begin or extend their coastal journey with time spent in the city.

The surf coast precincts immediately south of Geelong, including Torquay, Jan Juc and Bells Beach, function as both Great Ocean Road attractions in their own right and as introductions to a broader Geelong region experience. Bells Beach's surfing heritage, anchored by the annual Rip Curl Pro surf contest that has been running since 1961, is one of the most recognised Australian coastal locations globally and is a draw for surf tourists who may combine their visit with time in Geelong.

The Great Ocean Road's international profile as a tourism experience — featuring prominently in international travel media and social platforms — is an asset that flows partly to Geelong as the nearest city to the road's start. International visitors who include the Great Ocean Road in their Victorian itinerary typically overnight in the region, and Geelong's improving accommodation stock is capturing a growing share of this overnight spend.

Investment in the Great Ocean Road's visitor infrastructure, including road upgrades, enhanced interpretation and improved rest stop facilities, is ongoing through state and federal programs. Each improvement to the experience of driving the road has potential downstream benefits for Geelong as the gateway city and accommodation base for visitors spending multiple days on the coast.

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