Tourism Tasmania Report
JOHN FITZGERALD CEO, Tourism Tasmania
Our overall visitor economy continues to look strong, with the most recent International Visitor Survey results revealing Tasmania’s highest number of international arrivals ever. During the year ending March 2018, Tasmania received 300 400 international visitors, up 20 per cent from 250 300 the previous year. This increase was higher than the national average (8 per cent) and the highest rate of international growth for all Australian states/territories, increasing Tasmania’s overall share of international visitors to Australia. Pleasingly, for the first time, international expenditure in Tasmania has exceeded half a billion dollars at $559 million. The data also shows that the average length of stay for international visitors is also increasing, which is positive news as we continue to focus on increasing regional dispersal. The longer visitors stay, the more likely they are to travel outside of the main centres. Our brand health research tool, the Tourism Info Monitor also validates how popular Tasmania is as a travel destination. The research shows that Tasmania has surpassed Queensland to become the most appealing destination in Australia. And to top it off, we are the least negatively talked about of all Australian states and New Zealand. The recent announcement of direct flights between Perth and Hobart also shows great confidence in our state. Not only will the new service attract more visitors fromWestern Australia and beyond, it will also provide more travel options for Tasmanians and reduce travel time to Perth by up to 3 hours. The service will commence next month, just in time for the school holidays, and will operate three days per week on a year-round basis. Our team are working on a cooperative marketing campaign with Virgin Australia to promote the launch of the service and encourage bookings fromWA. I am also pleased to report that our recent tourism trade event, TasTalk was a great success. The event facilitated connections between local tourism operators and frontline travel sellers from around the country, as well as international sellers, equipping them with a deeper knowledge to better promote our state. Delegates also had the opportunity to experience some of Tasmania’s world class products and experiences through a range of itineraries covering all regions. It is important for us to bring key travel decision makers here to experience Tasmania. They had a fantastic time creating life long memories and generating advocacy for the state. If you want to see for yourself, check out their 600+ photos on Instagram under the hashtag #TasTalk2018. We are approaching the tail end of our current domestic marketing campaign, but if you would like to join us in enticing visitors, there’s still time to get involved. The Feed Your Curious industry toolkit is available on our corporate website www.tourismtasmania.com.au. Here you will find a range of campaign-aligned assets that are freely available for your use. There are a number of eye-catching campaign videos that can be embedded into your website or shared through your social media channels. You can stay updated on Tourism Tasmania’s activity by subscribing to our Tourism Talk newsletter.
August 2018 www.tha.asn.au
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