We’re on the right track

Tourism chief dismisses fears that Tassie is over-loved

TASMANIA will not be “loved to death” as long as there is continued investment to deal with the larger volumes of visitors, the nation’s top tourism advocate says.

Tourism Australia managing director John O’Sullivan said Tasmania had set the tone on how to focus on tourism experiences but it was time to be vigilant and analyse the data and community sentiment and promote the right parts of the state at the right time to the right markets.

“Protecting the environment features of a destination is really important but it is important when talking of over-tourism that we don’t become a solution looking for a problem,” Mr O’Sullivan said at a Tourism Industry Council Tasmania event titled “Reef, Rock, Harbour, Cradle?” in Devon- port’s new Parnaple convention centre yesterday.

“We are not at the tipping point yet.

“There are isolated pockets feeling the strain like the Great Ocean Rd in Victoria but at the moment there is one visitor for every three residents in Australia. This compares to places like Barcelona where there are six visitors for every resident.”

Mr O’Sullivan said he was a big supporter of the $160 mil- lion Cradle Mountain Master Plan and Parks and Wildlife’s decision to take private vehicles off the road into Dove Lake during peak visitor periods showed Tasmania was already thinking about how to get people into destinations without jeopardising what they came to experience.

But he warned it was time to invest in accommodation with Tasmania only having 7300 hotel rooms with another 3300 in the pipeline despite the number of international tourists being four times the national average.

The State Government yesterday officially kicked off its hunt for the site of Tasmania’s next iconic walk.

It has already budgeted $20 million to deliver the next multi-day, hut-based walk and submissions have opened to determine where it will be.

“The Overland and Three Capes Tracks have captured the world’s attention and are a major drawcard for the increasing number of local and visiting walkers who want to experience our unrivalled wilderness,” Premier and Tourism Minister Will Hodgman said.

“Our plan is to deliver the next iconic walking experience in another region.”

Advertisements will be placed in papers this weekend seeking submissions.