ARTICLE John Fitzgerald
Tasmania has received some great exposure recently with the launch of our new North American wine tourism campaign, which will showcase Tasmania’s world class product and wine experiences to new audiences. The campaignwill shine a light on our food andwine through the promotion of culinary focussed travel packages and itineraries with US distribution and airline partners and boost awareness and knowledge of Tasmania’s high quality experiences. Research indicates that Tasmania’s produce and hospitality is identified regularly as one of the state’s most enticing offerings. The campaign launch was held at acclaimed chef Dominique Crenn’s restaurant, Bar Crenn in San Francisco. Dominique has visited Tasmania previously as part of the Great Chef series and is a fantastic ambassador for the campaign. It included a Tasmanian inspired menu incorporating Cape Grim Beef, Petuna Ocean Trout, Leatherwood Honey, Huon Aquaculture Caviar, Bruny Island Cheese and Tasmanian Butter Co butter, all served with Tasmanian wines. In news closer to home, English artist Jimmy Cauty’s Aftermath Dislocation Principle has now embarked on a 12 month tour of southern Tasmania as part of Dark Lab’s Project X. ADP will tour six townships in the Huon Valley for around two months each starting in Geeveston. The artwork experience will build on the ongoing success of Hrafn: Conversations with Odin, which has attracted hundreds of visitors to Hastings Cave since its installation earlier this year. To further support businesses in the area, a promotion has commenced to encourage overnight stays in the region. Two free tickets to Hrafn will be offered to guests when they book direct with local accommodation providers or through the Geeveston and Huon visitor information centres. It is a great opportunity to encourage visitors to eat and buy locally, see more and stay overnight in the region. See www.project-x. net.au for more information. Improving access via air and sea is also a key priority for Tourism Tasmania and cruise ships form an important part of this strategy. The
Tasmanian government’s Access Working Group recently developed a Blueprint for Sustainable Cruise Shipping in Tasmania. The Blueprint released in August provides a snapshot for cruise stakeholders on the key actions that are either already underway or soon to commence that support a sustainable industry in the state. The Blueprint aims to ensure the benefits of cruise ships are shared with more Tasmanians through encouraging stops at regional ports and diversifying itineraries for shore excursions. The importance of our visitor economy to our community was further confirmed through the release of the latest State Tourism Satellite Account (STSA). The report showed that in 2017-18, tourism directly and indirectly supported around 42,800 jobs in Tasmania, or about 17.2 per cent of total Tasmanian employment and continues to be the highest percentage in the country. Tourism in Tasmania is estimated to have directly employed around 21,600 people during 2017-18, an increase of 1,500 jobs compared to 2016-17. This is a great result for the industry and demonstrates its value to the state’s economy and people. And finally but perhaps most importantly, an update about the future planning for our industry. The T21 – Tasmanian Visitor Economy Strategy is due to expire next year. To continue the great work that has already been achieved, an extensive engagement program will be rolled out to inform the new strategy’s development. A dedicated briefing and consultation will occur with the THA Board and we will be having conversations with visitor economy stakeholders, over the next six months, about the future of tourism and the vision for the next decade. I encourage you to be part of these conversations as opportunities arise, details will be provided through your regional tourism organisation. And just an inside tip – keep an eye out for our new tourism brand platform which will be launched in mid-October. We are excited to share the new tourism brand as it is a significant but natural evolution. We will have more to share following the launch.
October 2019 www.tha.asn.au
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