Massive growth in overseas visitors

HORDES of big-spending American tourists have helped Tasmania record the nation’s highest growth in overseas visitors — with a 13 per cent jump last financial year.

Tourism Research Australia’s International Visitor Survey has revealed a record 253,000 international visitors flocked to Tasmania in the year to June, spending a record $457 million.

Visitor numbers from the US rose 28 per cent to reach a record 40,000 and cement it as the top source of overseas tourists, while the number of Chinese visitors rose 30 per cent to 31,000. Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Germany were also big contributors.

Tourism contributes $2.8 billion to total gross state product and contributes to the employment of an estimated 37,400 Tasmanians

Premier Will Hodgman said the strong results demonstrated the increasing strength of the Tasmanian brand overseas.

“We have outlined ambitious new targets that would see an increase in the number of visitors staying overnight in our regional areas to 70 per cent [of all visitors to the state], meaning more visitors to our regions and a boost to our regional economies and local jobs,” he said.

Federal Tourism Minister Steven Ciobo said international visitor spending had almost doubled in five years as visitor numbers rose 82 per cent.

“International tourists’ love affair with Tassie is going from strength to strength as more are visiting, and they’re staying longer and spending when here,” he said.

The state’s most popular attractions were the Tasman Peninsula, which had 98,000 international visitors, Cradle Mountain, 87,000, and Freycinet National Park, 81,000.