High-end tourism best for our state

TASMANIANS strongly believe the state should position itself as a high-end tourism destination rather than trying to pitch to the massmarket or to backpackers.

A survey of more than 700 Mercury readers found 52 per cent of respondents believed it was either “very important” or “fairly important” that the state focus on premium tourism markets.

This compared with 22.1 per cent supporting a greater focus on backpackers and 16.9 per cent backing a mass market push.

There was little support for more development within national parks, with only 21 per cent rating the idea as “very important” or “fairly important” and 40.6 per cent of respondents suggesting it was “not important”.

Among comments was a strong theme that overdevelopment and too many visitors would threaten the Tasmanian brand.

Typical of the responses: “OVERDEVELOPMENT will be the death of Tasmanian tourism. People visit to see wilderness, not a dumbed down theme park for the wealthy,” said one respondent. “DON’T kill the golden goose with poor developments in parks. We are unique, so we don’t need to be like NZ or USA,” said another. “DEVELOPMENT inside national parks is a complete anathema to the purposes of protecting the environment. Or in other words, development will destroy the very thing that people are coming to see and experience.”

Respondents strongly backed greater protection of the natural environment in responses to a question about finding the right balance between development and conservation.

Exactly two-thirds of those who responded nominated better environmental protection as either “fairly important” or “very important”.

Support was also strong for a strategic planning summit between conservationists and developers, with 49 per cent indicating support.

The idea is explored in greater detail in the Tasmania 2022 special feature in tomorrow’s Mercury.

More detail on the survey responses and the many thought-provoking suggestions of readers to our poll — and an opportunity to have your say on the ideas being generated for our state’s future — can be found at www.the mercury.com.au