The Summerland Peninsula, located on Phillip Island, is Victoria’s most significant nature-based tourism destination, welcoming over one million visitors each year to iconic experiences including the Penguin Parade, the Nobbies, and renowned walking and surf beaches. It is a place of international tourism significance, deep cultural importance to the Bunurong People and a strong emotional connection for local communities.

As visitation continues to grow, the Summerland Peninsula Masterplan needed to balance world-class visitor experiences with ecological care of place and community values, shaping a long-term vision for the Peninsula over the next 20 - 30 years.

Tourism Collective was engaged to support the project through tourism context development and bespoke stakeholder engagement, working closely with the broader consultant team and Phillip Island Nature Parks.

Tourism context development

Through desktop research, visitor data analysis and targeted stakeholder interviews, we developed a clear and concise tourism context to inform the direction of the Masterplan.

The review identified that strong population growth in Melbourne, combined with increasing demand from key international markets, is expected to drive sustained growth in visitation to the Peninsula’s nature-based experiences over coming decades.

In response, the Masterplan needed to carefully balance the delivery of high-quality visitor experiences and supporting infrastructure with the protection and regeneration of the Peninsula’s sensitive ecological values, while continuing to enable community access to its iconic beaches, coastal walks and surf breaks.

These insights helped frame strategic discussions and informed decision-making around future capacity, experience evolution and investment priorities across the Peninsula.

Stakeholder engagement

Left: Community Focus Group Workshops, Right: Phillip Island Nature Parks Executive Listening Workshops, July 2025

We designed and delivered a tailored engagement program that reflected the sensitivities of place and the diversity of stakeholders, delivered across July, September and October 2025, with further engagement in early 2026.

The engagement program enabled hundreds of stakeholders to provide input into the Masterplan through a mix of online interviews, in-person workshops, community drop-in sessions and online surveys, ensuring multiple ways for people to participate.

This approach supported inclusive participation, balanced technical and community perspectives, and surfaced both shared priorities and key areas of tension to inform the Masterplan’s direction.

Stakeholders engaged through the process included:

• Phillip Island Nature Parks executive, staff and Board
• Local community and residents
• Destination Phillip Island
• Tourism businesses and operators
• Bass Coast Shire Council
• Visit Victoria

Project status

The project is in its later stages as of early 2026, with further updates to be shared as the Masterplan is finalised in the coming months.