Tourism Tasmania
Sarah Kingston Clark
Tasmania’s visitor economy is coming off the back of a strong summer, with the latest data showing that more than 1.4 million interstate and international travellers visited in the year ending March 2026, spending over $3.8 billion. It’s record visitation for our island, and while the current market is challenging and we’re continuing to monitor it closely, we know that Tasmania offers the kind of holiday travellers are seeking more and more. The world continues to notice too. Australian Traveller named Bicheno as the best Australian town to visit in 2026. National Geographic US listed Southern Tasmania as one of the 15 best places in the world for food right now. Expedia called Launceston one of Australia’s best winter towns. The Financial Times wrote a feature on Bird in Hand joining Tasmania’s growing gastronomic scene.
needs and motivations for these areas of travel, and the full opportunity for Tasmania and our tourism operators. You can find all of our wellness and events research, along with our latest visitor numbers, and recent media coverage on Tourism Tasmania’s new industry website, tourismtasmania.com.au . Launched in early June, the site has been built specifically for Tasmania’s tourism industry with a clear mission: to make sure operators have access to the best possible information, in the most useful and consumable way. Bringing together practical tools, data and insights needed to promote Tasmania and sustainably grow our visitor economy, it’s designed to be Tourism Tasmania’s single source of truth for industry and stakeholders. Since joining Tourism Tasmania, one of my priorities has been making sure our industry has access to the information and insights you need, when you need them. The more we all share, the better our collective decision making, and the stronger the outcomes across Tasmania. While I know the winter months can be challenging for some of our regions and operators, the Off Season events program plays an important role in filling quieter periods and supporting regional communities. What’s encouraging is that our events research shows visitors genuinely use events as a reason to stay longer, tacking on an average of three extra days, with 30 per cent stretching their trip to a full week. I encourage everyone to head to tourismtasmania. com.au and take a look around. The research is there, the data is there, and so are the tools to help your business make the most of what’s ahead.
BIRD IN HAND
To better understand what’s driving this interest, Tourism Tasmania recently completed two significant bodies of research into the trends shaping how Australians are travelling in 2026: wellness and events. Both have been established as key drivers of visitation to Tasmania for years, with this research focusing on understanding the
51 Tasmanian Hospitality Review June/July Edition
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