QUICK FACTS
- Tourism currently injects $3.96 billion in visitor spending to the Tasmanian economy
- Tourism contributes 6.7 per cent to Tasmania’s Gross State Product
- Visitor spending increased 8.8 per cent each year over the decade pre-pandemic
- Visitor numbers grew an average 5.4 per cent each year to 1.3 million pre-pandemic
- The tourism industry supports 37,300 Tasmanian jobs, including in regional Tasmania
Under our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, a re-elected majority Liberal Government will:
- Deliver an additional $12 million over three years to the 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy.
- Create a $50 million Regional Tourism Loan Scheme stimulating regional tourism.
- Commit $10 million to Business Events Tasmania and the delivery of an Events Attraction Fund.
- Deliver $4 million in increased destination marketing.
- Establish a $5 million Aviation Fund, leveraging all-year-round opportunities to increase capacity and enter the Tasmanian market.
- Unlock the new Chocolate Experience at Cadbury.
- Deliver the Cradle Mountain Master Plan.
- Deliver key Parks infrastructure across Tasmania.
- Partner with the Tourism Industry Council Tasmania to strengthen industry resilience and capacity and maximise opportunities from the new Spirit of Tasmania ferries.
- Invest in sustaining growth in mountain biking in Tasmania.
- Activate the Islander Way on Flinders Island
- Deliver agritourism reform and develop Heartlands tourism.
- Back in key strategic projects.
An important part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future is to continue to build on Tasmania’s reputation as a world leading tourism destination, highlight Tasmania’s unique experiences, and ensure that the visitor economy continues to have a positive impact on Tasmania’s environment, economy, and way of life.
$12 million for the 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy
We know Tasmania has what the world wants, with our world-class produce and beverages, our beautiful regions, festivals, world heritage sites, events and rugged walks offering something for everyone. One of the world’s biggest global news outlets, The New York Times has listed Tasmania in its top 52 Best Places to visit in 2024.
The investment in two new Spirit of Tasmania ferries will deliver a significant opportunity for the visitor economy. It is important we ensure we have appropriate supporting infrastructure to service the projected increase in visitors.
Tasmania welcomed 1.26 million visitors in the year ending September 2023, up 31 per cent from the same period last year, and we want to continue to sustainably grow the industry.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will invest in our tourism future through an additional investment of $12 million in the 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy.
Our aspiration is to achieve 1.6 million interstate visitors and 400,000 international visitors by 2030, growing visitation sustainably. This will represent an additional 750 000 visitors to Tasmania by 2030, with an estimated growth in visitor spend to $5.6 billion up from the current $3.96 billion.The 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy is the road map to deliver and manage that growth.
$50 million to a Regional Loan Scheme
A re-elected majority Tasmanian Liberal Government will deliver a $50 million Regional Tourism Loan Scheme.
A dedicated regional tourism loan scheme will support investment in visitor economy priorities, with the aim to promote regional dispersal and stimulate tourism activity in regional Tasmania.
A re-elected Tasmanian Liberal Government will continue to invest strongly to maintain the momentum in our thriving visitor economy and ensure every region reaps the benefits.
Regional Loan Attraction Scheme will provide low interest loans for businesses to invest in new projects that will stimulate their local visitor economy.
The Scheme will support the development of job-creating tourism attractions and promote innovation aligned to regional dispersal and positive impact.
$5 million to Improving Access to Tasmania
The aviation environment remains challenging post COVID-19 and for Tasmania to maintain and increase capacity to the island, Tasmania must be able to respond to emerging opportunities as they arise.
A re-elected majority Tasmanian Liberal Government will create a dedicated Aviation Fund of $5 million to be established to enable Tasmaniato be agile and swift in leveraging opportunities by partnering with domestic and international airlines to increase capacity and enter the Tasmanian market.
$4 million in increased investment in destination marketing
Tasmania’s brand strength is strong, but we cannot take this for granted – domestic and global markets are intensely competitive. The Tasmanian brand must cut through – hence Tourism Tasmania has an essential role in supporting the Tasmanian visitor economy, by building our tourism brand, generating visitor demand, and driving visitor activity into regional destinations.
Tourism Tasmania also provides critical base funding to the state’s four regional tourism organisations, which work closely with industry across communities to develop key Destination Management Plans and deliver important grass roots tourism support services.
A re-elected majority Tasmanian Liberal Government will increase Tourism Tasmania’s marketing budget by $4 million over the next two years so it can compete more aggressively, especially for winter visitation, to cement Tasmania’s position as a world-leading destination.
Ensuring strong industry support and advocacy of our tourism sector to maximise opportunities.
The Tourism Industry Council Tasmania (TICT) is the peak body for Tasmania’s tourism industry.
TICT remains a staunch supporter for industry and a strong voice for Tasmanian tourism operators. A re-elected majority Liberal Government will continue to work closely with TICT to support world-leading tourism in Tasmania and will increase TICT annual funding to $350,000.
The introduction of the two new Spirit of Tasmania ferries will be a significant opportunity for the visitor economy. It is important we ensure we have appropriate supporting infrastructure to service the projected increase in motorhome and campervan visitors. A further $120,000 will be provided to support the sector to maximise the impact of the new Spirits.
If re-elected this additional funding will enable TICT to support industry to coordinate and drive initiatives, including the positive impact agenda, in consultation with Tourism Tasmania and the Department of State Growth to ensure regions are ready for the opportunity presented by the new Spirit of Tasmania ferries.
Support a Chocolate Experience at Cadbury
A re-elected majority Liberal Government is supporting our visitor economy, jobs and skills development in Southern Tasmania by partnering with a consortium of private investors led by Simon Currant and Associates to progress the Chocolate Experience at Cadbury.
This exciting project will be a major economic driver, returning $120 million to the economy each year. It represents 300 construction jobs and 200 ongoing jobs once complete and will also see the construction of two new ferries in Hobart, as well as a new ferry terminal with public access at the Claremont waterfront parklands.
$10 million to boost events to drive the visitor economy
Events are important to attracting visitors to Tasmania, particularly in the off-season, and attracting new and different events to Tasmania will be vital in attracting more visitors to our state and our regions. In addition, Business Events play an important role in attracting high spending and strategic visitor markets for Tasmania. Business Events Tasmania generates $199 million in direct delegate expenditure in the economy each year, and 89 per cent of delegates say they intend to return to Tasmania on a holiday within three years.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government will provide longer-term certainty for existing events and additional capacity to target off-season events by boosting our Events Fund.
The Fund will support Events Tasmania to actively target and secure events that deliver the greatest return on investment, as well as support a wide range of events through its successful Major Events Partnership Program.
We are also committed to the ongoing support of our iconic events including Mona Events (Dark Mofo and Mona Foma), Festivale, the Junction Arts Festival, Supercars and the Taste of Summer.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government’s Business Events Attraction Fund was established in 2019, and an additional $1.2 million will be provided over two years to raise the base funding of Business Events Tasmania to remain competitive in attracting new events.
Securing the future of our regional events
Ensuring regional events continue to thrive and grow is key to our events strategy to encourage Tasmanians and visitors out into the regions to experience the best they have to offer. Events stimulate our regional economies through visitation and showcasing local food, beverage and experiences.
A re-elected majority Liberal government will support key regional events around the state to give them surety for three years beyond their existing arrangements, securing the future of:
- The Bicheno Food and Wine Festival
- The Cygnet Folk Festival
- The Tasmanian Craft Fair
- The Tasmanian Scallop Fiesta
- The Taste of Huon
- TrailGraze.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government, through Events Tasmania, will commence negotiation with the organisers of these events for contracts beyond their existing arrangements in the first 100 days of being sworn in.
Continue delivering the Tasmanian Government Events Strategy 2023-2027
Since delivering the state’s first events strategy in 2015, the Liberal Government has grown investment in the sector and driven it to increase bed nights and visitor spend in every region of the state.
Eighty per cent of holiday visitors to Tasmania intend to return (Tasmanian Visitor Survey data), so we know if we can entice visitors here once, they’re more than likely to return.
We will continue delivering our strategy and working with existing and new event organisers on sustainable and supportive funding partnerships that ensure the success of the event and a strong return to the visitor economy.
Delivering festival infrastructure
The Rockliff Liberal Government is already supporting DarkLab to deliver a Culture and Festivals Infrastructure Plan for southern Tasmania.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will, in the first 100 days, partner with a northern festival and cultural entity to deliver the same body of work in the north of the state.
This work will deliver a northern festival infrastructure plan looking at the needs of the sector to ensure northern Tasmania remains an attractive events destination.
The cost of this policy is $250,000.
A re-elected Liberal Majority Government will also invest $200,000 over two years into Princes Wharf 1 in Hobart, ensuring that our boutique Government-owned event space remains fit-for-purpose and a venue of choice.
Activating 'The Islander Way'
The beautiful islands that make up the Furneaux group have long histories, traditions and a remoteness that offers a real competitive edge.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government funded the landmark regenerative tourism project "The Islander Way" - the first of its kind in Australia - to develop an approach to tourism and the visitor economy that will generate opportunity for years to come for Flinders Island.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will kick start the finalised 'Regenerative Framework', which has widespread community support.
$150,000 to develop Heartlands tourism
The Tasmanian Heartlands offers rich colonial history, natural wonders and a developing food and beverage scene. The Heartlands is the centre of Tasmania, the untapped Midlands that so many visitors pass through but don’t stop to experience.
A re-elected Liberal Government will provide Destination Southern Tasmania $150,000 to work with strategic marketing partners to deliver a blueprint to identify key tourism opportunities for Tasmania's Heartlands Region to drive future tourism growth in jobs, investment and visitor spend.
Sustaining the growth in mountain biking in Tasmania
Mountain biking is a competitive strength of Tasmania, with significant investment from operators and Tourism Tasmania in driving destination awareness, visitor attraction and product innovation. It continues to grow as a significant segment of adventure tourism in the State which supports regional dispersal and local communities.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will provide $50,000 to fund an economic assessment of the value of Mountain Biking to Tasmania to help drive and support future investment and innovation.
Agritourism reforms
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will progress regulatory reform including improvements in the small business regulatory and operating environment, including boutique and artisanal operations informed by the agritourism regulatory mapping completed in 2022.
Our focus will be on supporting planning reform to enable agritourism to be recognised as a permitted use on agriculture land without compromising the agriculture integrity on the land. This will then create alternate revenue streams through farm gate experiences and farm accommodation.
By simplifying the planning rules, it will help landowners to add value to their existing agricultural businesses with additional income streams and encourage the next generation to farm the land.
We will streamline approval pathways to easily allow agritourism activities such as ‘pick your own fruit’ on rural zoned land.
Reforms will support landowners to establish agritourism businesses without the complexity and cost of obtaining approval of a full development application.
Landowners will be able to run activities on their farms more easily, including farm experiences, on-farm accommodation, cellar doors, cafes, retreats, roadside stalls, fruit picking and hosting small events such as weddings.
It will also support the resilience and recovery of regional and rural communities from natural disasters and unexpected events.
Overcoming insurance barriers to business
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will continue to work with the Australian Government to review insurance challenges now faced by industry, to identify new solutions for the sector.
The Department of State Growth will represent Tasmania on all committees and enquiries that seek to identify a national solution on the rising cost of insurance for the sector.
The Department will work with the State Government, TICT and the Tourism RTOs to ensure a strong united advocacy for insurance reforms seeking to reduce the prohibitive cost barriers to tourism businesses, events and activities.
$1.3 million to work force 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.
$1.5 million to women in leadership, mental health initiatives and Hospo Health
A re-elected majority 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.
Strategic Projects in Tasmania
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will continue to back key strategic projects including:
- The West Coast Wilderness Railway
- The Far North West Project - in conjunction with the Australian Government
- Reaffirming our commitment of $30 million to the Cradle Mountain Visitor Experience Master Plan - in conjunction with the Australian Government
- $1 million for camping upgrades and RV access on Flinders Island
- $2.05 million to develop a new arrival concourse for Mt Field National Park
- $300 000 to deliver an East Coast Tourism Positive Impact Plan as part of the Regional Strategic Partnership
- $2.8 million investment into making Ben Lomond a year-round destination project
- $3.3 million towards the revitalisation of the Hastings Thermal Pool
- $37 million over the next four years to complete the Iconic Walk Project, the multi-day walk (three day, two night) in the Tyndall Ranges, with construction to start mid-2025 subject to all approvals, huts constructed by 2027, bookings opened in 2028, and track completion and opening for the start of 2029
- $8 million for continued investment in the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area
- $3.150 million for upgrades to Cockle Creek camping areas
- $1.565 million to improve vehicle access and car parking facilities at Cape Bruny
- Continuing the Tasmanian Tourism and Hospitality Workforce Advisory Committee (TTHWAC)
- Continue development of the East Coast Drive
- Bay of Fires Masterplan
- East Coast Tourism Positive Impact Plan
Net Cost: $43.07 million
A number of policies are captured in other policy documents