The Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre has officially opened, but there’s still one big change to come.

The Twelve Apostles (of which seven remain standing) along Victoria’s rugged coastline have long been recognised as one of Australia’s top natural wonders, attracting more than two million visitors a year. But without the infrastructure to support such numbers, the landscape is beginning to show signs of deterioration.

To prevent further damage, the Great Ocean Road Coast & Parks Authority is introducing a ‘tourist tax’ – expected to take effect in April 2027 – a modest fee that visitors will pay upon entry to the site.

The government-managed, not-for-profit scheme coincides with the opening of the Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre, a major redevelopment that aims to safeguard the region and its icons for generations to come.

Australian Traveller speaks exclusively to Liz Price, General Manager of Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism, on what the fee is, why it has been introduced and what it means for you.

The tourist tax, explained

Despite some public debate, the new tourist tax at the Twelve Apostles isn’t simply “paying to see the view". Instead, it represents a small but significant step in broader sustainability efforts across the region, including the development of a $126 million visitor centre.

Officially opened to the public last week, the Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre is what your entry fee will grant access to, part of a new precinct providing an experience befitting to the internationally renowned icon.

While the exact price is yet to be announced, advance bookings are already compulsory, with all funds tunnelled directly back into the region – from supporting local communities to improving conservation work.

“There will be some sort of charge, whether it’s a booking charge, a carpark fee or entrance cost. But [the Great Ocean Road Coast & Parks Authority] is still going through consultation to work out exactly what that is," says Liz.

While some argue that such measures, like tourist taxes, risk commercialising natural landmarks, the reality is often the opposite. In many cases, visitor fees are introduced to help governing bodies protect vulnerable environments and ensure they can be enjoyed by future generations.

In fact, similar systems are already in place at sites across Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru. These charges go largely unnoticed by tourists, typically built into the overall cost of tours, park passes or visitor permits.

Why it’s being introduced

As one of Australia’s best road trips, the Great Ocean Road welcomes millions of tourists annually. And over the next few years, visitor numbers are only expected to grow.

“Pre-Covid, we had nearly three million people at the site. That was predicted to reach between six and eight million pretty quickly, with what was happening in terms of growth," says Liz.

While the pandemic temporarily slowed that trajectory, it also offered a glimpse into what the future could look like without better visitor management. “In 2019, it was a horrific experience at the Twelve Apostles. It was overcrowded. People were parking on the side of the road and walking across the fragile environment. Something had to be done."

Without the appropriate infrastructure to support such tourist activity, environmental decline is inevitable. Everything from heavy foot traffic and overcrowding to littering and illegal parking can accelerate decay and cause irreversible damage – and it’s not just the landscape that suffers.

These factors also significantly impact the visitor experience. Uncontrolled crowds lead to jam-packed lookouts, traffic congestion, restricted entry to key areas and potential closures for restoration, turning access into an uncertainty. Left unchecked, this kind of unsustainable tourism threatens to destroy the very places people come to see.

“There is a real obligation as the current stewards of this space to make responsible decisions," says Liz. “We have an obligation to ensure that we’re not coming to enjoy a place at the detriment of the environment and the people that live there."

How it will change the visitor experience

Part of the solution lies in the new Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre. Not only does it provide much-needed infrastructure, but it also aims to enhance the time people spend here, too.

“At the core of it, we’re also trying to slow people down and encourage them to truly enjoy the place they’re visiting," Liz tells us. “If you’re just there to tick it off the bucket list, you’re not really seeing the place. You’re not actually understanding the history, the community and all it offers."

The 3074-square-metre Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre is helping guests do just that, with a 230-seat cafe, gallery spaces, rooftop lookout and immersive displays celebrating the history and culture of the local Indigenous Eastern Maar people.

Outside, native gardens, pedestrian pathways and dedicated gathering areas encourage guests to spend more time appreciating the surrounding environment. A car park designed to accommodate more than 950 vehicles will reduce traffic congestion and illegal parking during peak season, which is right around the corner.

The new facility also connects visitors to the Great Ocean Walk – a brilliant alternative that showcases the coastline from a completely new angle – alongside a picnic area, activated outdoor spaces and access to Twelve Apostles Helicopters for an aerial perspective.

But Keerray Woorroong – and the entry fee required to access it – is only one part of the solution. The other comes in the form of a new booking system, designed to reduce overcrowding.

Launched on the same day as the visitor centre, it is now fully operational (and compulsory) for guests to use, although the associated fee won’t take effect until April next year.

“Crowds come in masses during peak periods, and it can be absolute bedlam. People arriving at that time don’t have a good experience because it just gets so congested and busy," says Liz.

The new system now features a range of allocated slots throughout the day, enabling guests to book a time that suits them. Once a window is full, another will need to be selected, giving the Great Ocean Road Coast & Parks Authority more flexibility in managing the site. According to Liz, the booking system works in tandem with the tourist tax to ensure nobody misses out.

“People have asked, could you not have a booking system without the charge? But we’ve seen that fail. What happens is people book, but because there’s no fee, they don’t care if they don’t turn up. If it’s a free experience, people will book. But if they decide they can’t be bothered or the weather’s not good, they don’t show up and take a spot from somebody else," she explains.

While the new entry fee will eventually mean an additional out-of-pocket expense, the truth is, the value of our country’s natural icons is far greater than saving a couple of dollars.

Visitation to the Twelve Apostles, as well as other historic sites across Australia, will no doubt continue to rise. But it is measures like this that will protect them for years to come – and you can’t put a price on that.