Tasmania on show

WITH 119 cruise ship visits expected to arrive in Tasmania this coming season, we were excited to hear about the recent Tassie Cruise Exchange - an opportunity for the state to showcase its new or updated cruise-ready product. Tourism Tasmania, in close collaboration with its RTOs and operators, hosted a multi-day program for eight shore tour program managers.

The program was split into two distinct regions allowing the group to enjoy an immersive program in the North/Northwest for ships visiting Burnie and south for vessels going into Hobart or Port Arthur. During the trip, the group participated in two business exchanges with local operators and enjoyed a wide-ranging itinerary including visits to food and beverage outlets such as Hellyers Rd Distillery, Blue Hills honey farm and the Agrarian Kitchen; historic sites such as Port Arthur, cultural venues including MONA and wildlife sanctuaries such as the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo.

The group also visited Beauty Point near Launceston which, after support from TasPorts, has now been updated to receive visits to their small ship berth and their anchorage, providing a new cruise access point to the State. Feedback from the exchange has been excellent with operators reporting requests for rates and allotments for the coming season. ACA encourages these initiatives as they provide an essential link between cruise lines and destinations which result in the development of highly appealing shore excursions which showcase the best our country has to offer.