Australia's growing attraction

Barossa Valley in South Australia has been proven to be the Australia's best known wine growing region according to the latest tourist figures.

The region has seen increasing numbers of international visitors over the last year with the biggest rise coming from New Zealand, according to the Barossa Light and Herald.

Following the introduction of direct flights from Auckland to Adelaide and a high profile advertising campaign, the number of wine-loving visitors from New Zealand has risen by 40 per cent.

Bill Spurr, the South Australian Tourist Commission chief executive, commented: "South Australia has welcomed visitors from across the country and around the world in the past few months.

"The regional marketing team in Barossa continues to promote the area as offering a wide variety of tourism opportunities that appeal to a cross-section of visitors."

The state continues to run events to promote its vineyards and regional marketing manager Barossa Wine and Tourism, Racheal Klitscher, said that the region hopes to see a three per cent growth in visitors over the next 12 months.

The Barossa region of South Australia was cultivated by European peasant farmers and English free settlers in the 1850s, which led to the development of much of the region's culture and architecture, as well as its wine growing history.

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