This week, a new brand strategy that promises to turn Yarrawonga Mulwala into a premier, market-orientate" destination was launched.
The launch event, at The Sebel last Wednesday evening, was a mix of history, design, and a call to arms.
YMTB chair, Michael Coldham took the audience on a journey back to 1986 when tourism was first incorporated in the town, but the most fascinating, and perhaps least known, detail shared became the catalyst for a whole new brand.
Just a few years ago, YMTB was told council funding for the visitor centre would be pulled and while a three-year contract was eventually secured, the scare prompted a total rethink.
“We recognized that if we stayed the same... we wouldn’t be able to increase visitation or have any benefit for local tourism businesses,” Mr Coldham said.
The result is a shift away from being just an information desk to becoming a modern agency for communication and advocacy.
The new identity is deeply rooted in the environment, featuring a colour palette of water, air, fire, space, and land, and promotes the region as a year-round destination across four seasons.
The visual transformation was led by Danielle O’Shea of Boldly Creative, who admitted she felt the "huge responsibility" of branding her own home.
She said the golden tones were a tribute to the lake’s iconic sunsets and the ‘O’ in the logo reflects the sun's path from east to west, anchoring the towns’ identity to its natural beauty.
But at YMTB, the brand had to be more than just pretty pictures; branding is what people say, the stories they tell after they return home.
A cutting-edge, mobile-first website was developed to support the vision.
It was built to be discoverable by emerging AI platforms, ensuring the towns stay ahead of the curve, and allows for food-customized listings, giving local operators more flexibility to promote their businesses.
YMTB chief executive, Nathan Bibby acknowledged the support of community partners like Yarrawonga Holiday Park, who financially backed the innovation with $30,000.
“We held stakeholder workshops, engaged with local schools, and surveyed more than 140 visitors and community members,” Mr Bibby said.
“We wanted to understand the different ways people experience this place and what it means to them; from there, we stepped back and assessed the broader tourism landscape.
“We explored what other destinations are doing well, where opportunities exist, and how we could differentiate ourselves in a meaningful way.”
He said that now the "sales pitch is over”, the real work of implementation begins.
With this new brand, Yarrawonga Mulwala is shaping the conversation about itself.
The potential will unfold as the region’s businesses and organisations collaborate around the collective opportunities.
As Mr Coldham put it, the tourism body is no longer "riding a white horse" alone; they are building an army.
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