Tasmania’s finest up with best in the world

CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners of the 2018 Tasmanian Hospitality Association Awards for Excellence.

The awards celebrate the achievements of the industry collectively and as individuals. They are an acknowledgment of the excellent work industry representatives do in delivering quality experiences to visitors and locals alike.

As Premier and Minister for Tourism, Hospitality and Events, it was my pleasure to attend the awards ceremony last night to acknowledge in person the fantastic achievements of the industry and commend our many wonderful hospitality operators for their commitment to providing high-quality experiences to visitors from all over the world.

Tasmania is now a better place to live than ever before. Our economy is strong. Employment has grown every month for the past two years, and 14,700 more Tasmanians have jobs than when my Government was elected in 2014.

It is fair to say that no industry has contributed more to this turnaround than the tourism and hospitality industry.

We know that our state has great experiences, attractions, events, food and drink that are part of the reason why people come here. But it’s the people in the industry who showcase these experiences and make our guests feel welcome who have made Tasmania one of the hottest destinations in the world.

I also thank the THA for the important part they play in supporting and growing the industry.

As a Government we are continuing to deliver our plan to make Tasmania an even better place to live and work.

We have a target to grow the number of jobs in the sector to 50,000 by 2022. To do that, we will be working closely with the THA to help deliver a well-trained and well-supported tourism and hospitality workforce.

The 2018-19 Budget saw a commitment of $6.8 million over four years to support the industry to continue its great work.

The THA is playing an important role in growing Tasmania’s visitor economy and is working with government to progress a number of the T21 — Tasmanian Visitor Economy Strategy actions.

My Government looks forward to working with the hospitality industry in the years ahead.