Victoria’s coastline has long been an easy sell in summer.
Long days, beach time, road trips and seaside towns have made the state’s coastal regions a popular choice for the warmer months.
However, for travel agents, there is an opportunity to broaden the conversation: to position Victoria’s coastal regions as more than summer-only destinations and offer different reasons to visit throughout the year.
From food-and-wine hopping during the autumn to whale watching during the winter, the cooler months can give travellers very different experiences on the coast that go beyond beaches and surfing.
Travellers are increasingly looking beyond peak periods
In a 2026 research report by Booking.com, travellers are showing a growing appetite for experiences outside the traditional peak periods.
Some 43% of surveyed travellers said they planned to avoid overcrowded tourist destinations, while 42% preferred to travel outside peak season and 25% planned to seek destinations with cooler temperatures.
This shift reflects several factors, from a desire to avoid crowds to changing expectations around what makes a rewarding holiday.
For Victoria’s coastal regions, this presents a valuable opportunity: giving popular summer destinations a new selling point.
But it doesn’t necessarily mean selling the same destinations in colder weather.
Instead, travel agents can rethink what the coastal experience looks like at different times of year, matching clients with seasonal experiences that are naturally suited to cooler conditions.
Sell to the right traveller
Not every client needs to be sold the same version of Victoria’s coast.
The shoulder season can be an opportunity to broaden the audience beyond the traditional summer family holiday.
Nature lovers might be drawn to rainforest walks, waterfalls, coastal hikes and wildlife encounters.
Foodies can follow cellar doors, breweries, farm gates, seafood producers and restaurants.
Couples might be drawn to a slower itinerary centred on boutique accommodation, spa treatments, long lunches and scenic drives.
But that doesn’t mean leaving families out entirely. School holidays can support family itineraries built around wildlife experiences, maritime and local museums, sheltered nature walks and other wet-weather attractions available in each region.
The key is to match the itinerary to the traveller, rather than trying to sell every client the same coastal holiday.
Build itineraries around experiences
A coastal getaway becomes easier to sell when it is more than a list of places to visit.
For travel agents, this means building an itinerary around a theme or experience and then using the coastline as the setting.
The Great Ocean Road is a good example of how this can work. Its appeal outside summer extends beyond its famous limestone stacks, with the Otways offering surging waterfalls and atmospheric rainforest, while winter whale watching in Warrnambool adds another seasonal reason to travel.
The same principle can be applied across Victoria’s wider coastline. Instead of selling a destination as a single product, agents can create a series of reasons to visit throughout the year.
Make food and wine part of the coastal proposition
When catching the waves is no longer the focus, local produce, cool-climate wines, breweries, distilleries and seasonal dining can become central to the itinerary.
This is what makes Victoria an excellent year-round destination.
It is one of Australia’s most diverse wine-producing states and home to more than 20 distinct wine regions.
The Mornington Peninsula’s wineries, for example, give travellers a reason to venture beyond the beach, with cellar doors, wineries and waterfront restaurants providing a natural fit for autumn and winter itineraries.
The Bellarine Peninsula offers a similar proposition, while further west, the Great Ocean Road can be paired with regional produce, craft breweries and local dining.
For travel agents, the opportunity lies in connecting these experiences rather than selling them as standalone stops.
A coastal road trip can include a winery lunch, a visit to a local producer and an evening at a local pub or restaurant, creating a more complete itinerary that does not depend on warm weather.
Build around events and seasonal calendars
Food and wine festivals, markets, arts programs, live music, sporting events and seasonal celebrations can all turn shoulder season into a bookable travel period.
For agents, this creates a practical sales hook: rather than asking a client to travel to a destination, give them something specific to attend.
Events can also help create urgency around bookings and provide a natural reason to package accommodation, dining and experiences together.
Don’t make discounts the “highlight”
Now, who doesn’t love a good deal? Lower rates, package inclusions and off-season specials can certainly help turn up booking rates, but they should not be the only reason for travelling outside summer.
The message should be simple: sell the value of travelling differently, then let the deal sweeten the proposition.
That could be fewer crowds at popular attractions, better opportunities for wildlife encounters, a slower-paced road trip, seasonal food and wine experiences, or the chance to unwind at a hot spring or spa after a day outdoors.
Once the experience is established, an off-season offer can become an added incentive to book.
A discounted room, complimentary breakfast, dining credit, or bundled experience can add value without making price the centre of the conversation.
Give Victoria’s coast a year-round sales story
Victoria’s coastal regions do not need to compete with summer. They can complement it.
Develop a stronger year-round sales story by using the changing seasons to highlight distinct experiences and attract different types of travellers.
Summer can still be about beaches, swimming, and classic coastal road trips.
But autumn can bring food and wine, winter can deliver wildlife, wellness and dramatic landscapes, and spring can open up walking, nature and outdoor experiences without the peak-season crowds.
For clients who have already seen Victoria’s coast in summer, that creates a reason to return.
For those who have never considered a coastal getaway outside the warmer months, it provides a different proposition altogether.
