Researchers believe more Aussies are chosing to holiday in Victoria due to the growing popularity of culture / Supplied

Well at least that's what the numbers suggest.

For the first time, more Australians are visiting Victoria for a holiday than Queensland.

YOUR SAY: Do you prefer to holiday in Victoria over Queensland?

Going local: More great short breaks

Discover: Victoria travel guide

Data released by Tourism Research Australia shows NSW still heads the list with 7.2 million domestic visitors in 2008-09, followed by Victoria with 5.4 million and Queensland with 5.1 million.

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Victorian tourist chiefs believe that during tough economic times, Australians' tastes have shifted toward short breaks to experience Victoria's cultural activities and away from Queensland's physical attractions.

”The offer of big events, cultural events, retail, food and wine is considered more attractive than stuff like theme parks, Big Pineapples and gee-whizzy type of stuff,” Victorian Tourism Industry Council chief Anthony McIntosh says.

McIntosh says Victoria's 20-year marketing campaign promoting its big events, such as the spring racing carnival, its shops, wineries and culture has paid off. But he admitted visitors come for a good time, not a long time.

”The marketing has positioned Victoria as the place for short stay holidays, the place for dirty weekends basically,” he says.

”It's a romantic, cultural, exciting place to visit for a short stay. People don't stay here for weeks, they come and stay for a weekend or three or four days.

”They go to things like stage plays and big sporting events, musical tours, they go to wineries, they go to restaurants.”

As an example, both the National Gallery of Victoria and the Melbourne Museum recorded record crowds for their exhibitions on artist Salvador Dali and the ruins of Pompeii.

And the other blockbuster has been the musical Jersey Boys.

Melbourne Museum has had a record number to its exhibition, A Day in Pompeii. And the NGV has had more than 150,000 people for its Salvador Dali Liquid Desire exhibition. Both exhibitions continue until October.

The gallery's director Dr Gerard Vaughan says the exhibition is second only in popularity to the NGV's most attended Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, The Impressionists.

”Once again, the exhibition has proved extremely popular with visitors from Melbourne, regional Victoria, interstate and overseas,” Dr Vaughan says.

A Day in Pompeii tells the story of life in the ancient Roman city which was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, AD79. It covers everything from food and dining to shopping, medicine and religion.

The CEO of of Museum Victoria Dr Patrick Green says no other ancient city had been found so complete and intact.

But it remained lost and forgotten until rediscovered by archaeologists in the early 1700s.

Of particular interest are the the body casts, made by pouring plaster into hollows left where victims of the eruption were buried.

The show is part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, a Victorian government initiative that brings outstanding exhibitions from around the world exclusively to Melbourne. In its first five years it has attracted more than 1.34 million people.

Meanwhile, we found the audience at Jersey Boys playing at the historic Princess Theatre lively and friendly.

The Australian version of the Tony Award-winning musical didn't disappoint. Written by Rick Elice it's about the 60s pop group The Four Seasons, starring four relatively unknown Aussie actors.

It shows how Frankie Valli and his band were influenced by the mob influence of New Jersey in the 1950s and 60s but went on to sell 175 million records.

Some other places to visit and things to do in Melbourne:

Federation Square: Corner of Flinders Street and Swanston Street. Call: (03) 9639 2800. It's a complete inner city block, connecting the central business district with the Yarra River and is a fusion of arts and events, leisure, hospitality and promenading.

Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) Federation Square: Flinders Street. Call: (03) 8663 2200. It celebrates, champions and explores the moving image in all its forms - film, television, games, new media and art.

National Design Centre: Federation Square Flinders Street. Call: (03) 9654 6335. Combining a gallery space and resource centre, the NDC also hosts the annual Melbourne Design Festival which showcases the latest and greatest in local product and celebrates the classics.

Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia Cnr Russell and Flinders Sts. Call: (03) 8620-2222. Current exhibition: John Brack - runs until August 2009.

Eureka Skydeck: 88 7 Riverside Quay, Southbank. Call: (03) 9693-8888. It's on Level 88 and is the highest public vantage point in Melbourne, Australia and the Southern Hemisphere. Visitors are able to take in the 360 degree views through floor to ceiling glass windows, from the CBD to the Dandenong Ranges and across Port Phillip Bay.

IF YOU GO:

Jersey Boys Princess Theatre, 240 Exhibition St.

Salvador Dali: Liquid Desire is at the NGV from 10am to 5pm until October 4, 2009 and until 9pm every Wednesday for art after dark. Adults: $23; Concessions: $18; Children: $11; family: $60.

A Day in Pompeii: Melbourne Museum runs to October 25. Adults $20, concession $14, family $54 (all tickets include entry to the museum).

Hilton Melbourne South Wharf, 2 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf. Call: (03) 9027 2000.

Details about Melbourne: visitvictoria.com or visitmelbourne.com

The writer was a guest of Tourism Victoria and the Hilton Melbourne South Wharf.

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