ARTICLE Opposition Leader, Rebecca White
An impressive array of festivals and events are emerging in Tasmania and confirming what many locals already know: Tasmania’s tourism and hospitality sectors are second to none. From Lilydale to Cygnet, summer festivals and events are popping up and exposing all corners of our state to the positive effects of Tasmania’s tourism and hospitality boom. These events often showcase a range of incredible Tasmanian produce and services and provide direct and indirect benefits to regional communities that should be nurtured. Events such as Falls Festival, A Festival Called Panama, Mona Foma, Taste of Tasmania, Festivale, Barnbougle Polo, Hobart Tennis International, and Cygnet Folk Festival all provide a flow on effect that benefit our local cafes, restaurants, clubs, accommodation venues and catering businesses. Local jobs created to support major events, touring events and recurring local events also provide hospitality workers with a host of unique opportunities: from a foot-in-the-door to career-defining breaks. Unfortunately, in recent months we’ve seen the fraudulent business of ticket scalping threaten Tasmania’s authentic and vibrant events business. People should be able to enjoy festivals and concerts without unfairly forking out huge amounts just to get in to them. Yet this is exactly what is happening across Tasmania because of ticket scalpers. Nobody wins from ticket scalping other than the person or business on-selling the tickets. The event coordinators who go to extraordinary measures to bring the events to Tasmania, the artists and athletes that choose to perform and play at them, the
audiences that attend the events, and the communities that embrace the flow on effects in their local area – these people are all compromised.
Examples in Tasmania of where ticket scalpers are cashing in include:
• • • • A two day pass for the Falls Festival marked up by 35% Mona Foma Saturday Pass – $161, up from $69 Mona Foma Sunday Pass – $161, up from $69 Big Bash Cricket in Launceston (General Admission) – $130 up from $29 Undoubtedly, a fair and just events industry is more likely to sustain greater flow on effects for all those involved. That’s why all other Australian states have acted to crack down on ticket scalping and Labor thinks it’s time Tasmania followed their lead to stamp out practices that rip off Tasmanians. The kinds of restrictions that should be implemented include banning the sale of tickets for more than 10% of their original price, banning ‘ticket bots’, which scalpers use to harvest tickets as soon as they become available online, and making it an offence to host advertisements for ticket sales that contravene these laws. Tasmanians want to be able to enjoy home-grown and touring events at a reasonable price and a thriving events industry should be embraced by Tasmania’s hospitality sector. Events also attract visitors, and visitors spend money, which boosts the local economy both on and off the festival site. However without consumer protection, these events have the potential to deteriorate and even cease to operate. It’s time to stamp out poor practices before our next summer festival season commences for the benefit of all those involved – including our events and hospitality sector workers.
February 2020 www.tha.asn.au
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