It is wild, secluded and absolutely stunning. Yet tourists stay less than 40 minutes on average in the region that takes in the Twelve Apostles despite the almost six-hour round trip from Melbourne.
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Then they spend about 18 cents in the local economy.
The state government hopes to remedy that by spending $9.8 million on the 28-kilometre Shipwreck Coast.
That money will provide Wi-Fi at the Twelve Apostles viewing platform, which may encourage tourists to linger a few minutes longer as they post their selfies on social media.
The push to encourage visitors to stay the night comes after a report commissioned by Parks Victoria found a drop in visitation of about 1 per cent a year.
That decline in official forecasts to the Shipwreck Coast came despite anticipated growth in short-stay trips to the Twelve Apostles.
The latest funding package for the first stage of the master plan includes a new lookout and "digital interpretation platform" at the Twelve Apostles.
The money will also go towards a new lookout "The Blowhole" nearby, allowing it to reopen to the public.
A new pedestrian bridge will be built over Campbell's Creek in Port Campbell with new connecting trails in the area.
These new additions make up stage one of the Shipwreck Coast master plan, which is touted to create 120 new jobs and inject $12 million a year into the regional economy over 20 years.
The Twelve Apostles site is the third-most visited tourist destination in Australia, behind the Sydney Opera House and the Great Barrier Reef.
Twelve Apostles Tourism and Business Association president David Pope said the region's tourism industry had been requesting funding for years.
He said stage one of the master plan was not a magic bullet but was a step in the right direction.
Mr Pope said the proposed major extension of the Twelve Apostles trail, running from Timboon to Port Campbell and then to Princetown, was desperately needed to boost tourism.
The trail will take in Loch Ard Gorge and the Twelve Apostles.
"We think that's a significant piece of infrastructure that will have a much bigger impact on visitation," he said.
Mr Pope said the master plan would bring the tourism destinations up to world-class standards.
Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said the government investment would strengthen the local economy through sustainable tourism.
