Boosting the Future of Hospitality in Tasmania

QUICK FACTS
  • The hospitality industry is an important part of the State’s tourism sector and is part of the lifeblood of our regions.
  • The industry supports more than eight per cent of the State’s jobs.
  • Injects over $700 million into the economy each year.

Under our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, a re-elected majority Liberal Government will:

  • Provide for a $500,000 Regional Hospitality Revival Fund.
  • Boost Hospitality 2030 & the Great Customer Experience Program.
  • Continue to invest in the Women in Leadership, Mental Health, and Hospo Health initiatives.
  • Ensure Clubs Tasmania can continue to provide advice, information and support to Tasmanian community clubs, sporting clubs and RSL clubs.
  • Invest $1.3 million into Visitor Experience Training to help address skills and labour shortages in the hospitality industry.
  • Introduce, within 100 days of the election, legislation to provide for presumptive sentencing for assault on frontline retail and hospitality workers.

An important part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future is supporting industry to employ Tasmanians.

Regional Hospitality Revival Fund

We will deliver a $500,000 Regional Hospitality Revival Fund.

The program will provide grants of up to $2,500 to support hospitality businesses in regional Tasmania to attract visitors to the regions.

Eligible businesses can apply for funding to assist in meeting the costs associated with live performances, event staging, minor works, marketing, and promotion, or other initiatives that contribute to their business and help bring visitors into their region.

Hospitality 2030

A re-elected majority Liberal Government will continue to back Hospitality 2030 with $2.4 million over three years, enabling the THA to continue to support workforce development across the hospitality sector.

$2.25 million has previously been allocated to Hospitality 2030, a long-term plan for the hospitality sector, which has delivered activities including the “More than Welcome” campaign, Career Expos across Tasmania, School Engagement programs, and hospitality business networking forums and webinars state-wide.

Great Customer Experience

A re-elected majority Liberal Government will continue to back the Great Customer Experience (GCE) program with $3 million over three years.

The Great Customer Experience has played a pivotal role in the hospitality sector providing free support to tourism and hospitality businesses and supporting a culture of customer experience and excellence across all regions of Tasmania.

This has seen more than 1,800 hospitality businesses involved with the scheme, with more than 2,400 staff accessing skills development and training. During COVID, GCE contractors had more than 7,000 direct engagements, including visits and phone calls, with businesses around the state.

Women in Leadership, Mental Health initiatives and Hospo Health

A re-elected Rockliff Liberal Government will commit $1.5 million over three years to recognise the importance of promoting women in industry and leadership, to support the development of resources for hospitality owners, operators and their staff to manage mental health issues, and for the established “Hospo Health” program, to improve the overall health and wellbeing of the industry.

Clubs Tasmania Program

Clubs Tasmania fulfils an important role ensuring our community and sporting clubs. They promote and support active and healthy communities and lifestyle across Tasmania.

A re-elected majority Liberal Government will provide $1.5 million over three years to ensure clubs Tasmania can continue to provide advice, information, and support to improve the organisational capability of Tasmanian community clubs, sporting clubs, and RSL clubs.

Workforce and Skills

Skills and labour shortages remain a critical challenge for the hospitality industry in Tasmania.

Visitor Experience Training (VXT) is a purpose-built organisation with one purpose – to train a hospitality and tourism workforce to deliver the Tasmanian experience. The demand for non-accredited, workplace-based, outcome-focused short courses is clear, and VXT is meeting that demand.

A re-elected majority Liberal Government will continue VXT funding of $1.3 million over two years.

Presumptive sentencing for assault on frontline retail and hospitality workers

No frontline worker – whether in public or private sector jobs – should face abuse or assault in their workplace. This legislation will send a strong message that assault of any frontline worker is not acceptable.

Presumptive sentencing is not minimum mandatory sentencing, but it does set a minimum sentence for assault on frontline workers that must be applied by the Court unless there are reasonable grounds not to do so, thereby giving discretion to the judiciary in its independent decision-making.

Within 100 days of the election, a re-elected majority Liberal Government will introduce legislation to provide for presumptive sentencing for assault on frontline retail and hospitality workers.

Net Cost: $10.2 million over three years