Too cool for school
IT’S official. The days of Tassie talking itself down are over. The state is now officially cool.
Premier Will Hodgman told the Liberal Party Federal Council meeting at the weekend that other states want what Tasmania has — more than ever.
He says Tasmania is a “little quirky, inimitable [and] now very cool” with the best private art gallery, best golf course, and best whisky “in the world”.
The state’s industry leaders all agree. “We’ve shifted from a patronising pat on the head from the mainland to being the envy of other states who want what we’ve got,” says Tourism chief Luke Martin.
THE state’s strongest growing sectors have rallied behind Premier Will Hodgman’s assertion at the Liberal Party Federal Council meeting at the weekend that other states want what Tasmania has more than ever.
Mr Hodgman told the council meeting in Sydney that Tasmania was a “little quirky, inimitable [and] now very cool” with the best private art gallery, best golf course, and best whisky “in the world”.
Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said the days of Tasmanians talking themselves down were over, with 12 medals at February’s Australian Tourism Awards and 1.26 million tourists visiting last year.
“We’ve shifted from a patronising pat on the head from the mainland to being the envy of other states who want what we’ve got,” he said.
“We have our own environmental tourism space and with Mona we have this hipster and cool kind of space since it opened, with Dark Mofo and Mofo now in Launceston.
“There is no event like Dark Mofo in the country. We also have the Unconformity [in the west], and now [Triple J’s] One Night Stand in St Helens.”
Mr Martin said the key was a product-driven shift, including Mona, Saffire Freycinet in the east and Barnbougle Resort in the north.
“Cradle Mountain’s [master] plan is important, hotel developments are important and a new multi-day walk is important,” he said.
Tasmanian Hospitality Association general manager Steve Old said mainland hospitality bodies had stopped treating Tasmania as an afterthought, with the state now treated as one of the sector’s frontrunners.
“Five to six years ago people talked about our food exports … and no one had heard of our restaurants,” he said. “Now we get heard about all our produce as well as our quality eateries and chefs.”
Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Michael Bailey said when he started at the TCCI, other state’s laughed at Tasmania. “Now at TCCI conferences I’m asked how we have done all this,” he said. “We get asked by [interstate] businesses the best places to see and the best restaurants and hotels.”