Burning bright while staying true
ALMOST every other month it seems Tasmania features somewhere on the national or international stage as a “best destination” or in a top 10 list.
We rejoiced in the fact our state was ranked number 4 in the best 10 regions in the world by Lonely Planet and our best restaurants are regularly raved about in Gourmet Traveller Australia.
Only this month, the Tasmanian Visitor Survey recorded 1.27 million visitors overall for 2016-17, up 9 per cent from 1.17 million the previous year. The visitor economy is contributing very strongly to our way of life.
After 30 years’ involvement in tourism, the big question emerging for me is: How do we keep the curve continuing upwards while managing perceived overcrowding in certain locations at peak times, and retaining the quality of the Tasmanian experience?
I think Tasmania is able to support more visitors, which will grow our visitor economy and improve our way of life, because of the sophistication and understanding of the key operators and industry stakeholders.
By sophistication, I mean the quality of experiences available across almost all tourism markets, including the now well-established events market, including Dark Mofo, Taste of Tasmania, Huon Valley Midwinter Festival and Festival of Voices. Mona can certainly be credited with providing impetus for so many cutting-edge ideas and also for inspiring the courage and confidence of tourism operators to be different, to challenge convention, and to proudly reveal their authentic selves.
What I think we do now understand is the need to ensure a broad range of the tourism market is catered for, and this is where a rational growth/sustainability debate is so important, as it will inform the considerations we make and the infrastructure improvements we implement, and ultimately determine our success in meeting market demand.
Perhaps a good example of growth and sophistication is the town of Cygnet and its surrounds.
Some 25 years ago, it was a quiet farming community with a quaint and quirky township. Today, it is home to some of Tasmania’s best and most loved cafes and eateries, premium artisan producers, high-end boutique accommodation businesses, and host to what has become one of Australia’s iconic folk music events — while retaining its tranquillity, uniqueness and creativity.
It’s not as simple as attracting crowds of holidaymakers. Visitors want authentic experiences, sensitive to the environment in which they are placed
In fact, it hasn’t just retained these traits; it has embraced them and built an entire brand around them. The authenticity of this brand adds to the sophistication of the offering.
Cygnet caters for its market, which is what other localities must set themselves for over the next two decades and beyond.
Destination Southern Tasmania is co-ordinating Destination Action Plans for each identified district to assist them in achieving this.
Another good example of sophistication statewide is the huge growth of wineries, distilleries, cellar doors and restaurants. People come to Tasmania for our wine, beer, cider and spirits, but over the past 20 years producers have shown themselves willing to invest in providing visitors with food experiences to accompany the drink, again highlighting and enhancing Tasmanian excellence and produce.
The premium accommodation offer of Saffire, MACq 01, Pumphouse Point and the underconstruction Marriott International Hotel at Parliament Square, draw the top end of the market, and new accommodation in appealing locations is needed, but that must be balanced with more affordable offerings.
We know that we have high repeat visitation from interstate and international tourists, so we must focus on investing in new experiences to entice them back and to promote Tasmania to their family and friends.
We must also concentrate on developing outstanding regional experiences to draw people out of the major population centres, to boost the regional economy and to sustain employment in our towns.
Government has a role to play with infrastructure investment to support the flow of tourists around the state.
The current Government’s Expressions of Interest process to create new tourism attractions has been critical to open up our world heritage areas. Yes, it must be done sensitively and sustainably, but it also must be done.
Tasmania has always had a positive brand. When I started with the Tasmanian Convention Bureau in 1993, we thought we knew what our brand was: clean and green and sustainable. What we have done in the intervening quarter of a century is refine
that brand and take it to the worldwide market.
Tasmania has the capacity to continue to increase its visitor numbers across the state, but it’s not as simple as just attracting crowds of holiday-makers.
We know that visitors across the board want authentic experiences, sensitive to the environment in which they are placed, and finding that balance between growth and long-term sustainability needs rational debate.
Strengthening the Tasmanian brand and maintaining the quality of the Tasmanian experience is paramount.
The future for Tasmanian tourism is extremely positive, so long as we continue to understand our markets, appreciate the visitors who come to our state and provide the experiences that will entice them back. Vin Barron is the outgoing inaugural chairman of Destination Southern Tasmania 2012-17 and a current board director.