Tourism surges ahead with record 1.2 million visitors in 2016

A RECORD 1.2 million travellers visited Tasmania last year, with the state charging ahead of the growth rate required to achieve its target of 1.5 million visitors by 2020.

Visitors from Bendigo, Sally Graham and her daughters Mackenzie, 10, centre, and Emerson, 9, check out Hobart from the ferris wheel outside the Spiegeltent in the PW1 forecourt. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

A RECORD 1.2 million travellers visited Tasmania last year, with the state charging ahead of the growth rate required to achieve its target of 1.5 million visitors by 2020.

New figures show Tasmania experienced a 7 per cent rise in visitor numbers throughout 2016, with northern Tasmania, the East Coast and the Cradle Coast experiencing much of the boom.

The latest Tasmanian Visitor Survey, to be released today, says visitors from the under-25 age bracket more than doubled, while families with children living at home, people living in share houses, part-time workers and students also helped drive the increase. Tourists injected $2.14 billion into the state’s economy last year – a spending increase of 10 per cent.

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chairman Daniel Leesong said it was a good sign for the industry, with visitor numbers to Tasmania having grown by 30 per cent since 2012.

“We know accommodation in Hobart is tight, yet visitor numbers have continued to grow and other parts of the state are increasing their share of the pie,” Mr Leesong said.

“This shows visitor demand for the whole state continues to be strong and this will encourage further investment and development in regional areas of Tasmania.”

But Mr Leesong said keeping this stunning growth going required smart thinking.

“We have a vision of 1.5 million visitors to Tasmania in 2020 but to achieve this goal we will need to be smart in where we target our investment and what visitor markets we pursue,” he said.

“We know we need more air capacity into the state, including direct services into new markets such as South Australia, Western Australia and South-East Queensland.

“We also need to invest in our people. The fact is another 4000 Tasmanians will be needed to work in tourism and hospitality over the next few years.”

Destination Southern ­Tasmania chief executive Melinda Anderson also said industry and government needed to continue working together.

International visitor numbers rose by 11 per cent, with those from the US up 13 per cent, and strong increases from Asian markets including Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

Tasmanian Premier and Tourism Minister Will Hodgman said the figures showed the Government’s plan to grow the tourism sector was working, but that Tasmania’s tourism offering must continue to evolve to keep the state “ahead of the pack”.

Sally Graham and daughters Emerson, 9, and Mackenzie, 10, flew into Hobart yesterday from Bendigo.

Ms Graham said Tasmania had long been on her family’s to-do list, with visits to Port Arthur, Wineglass Bay, the Cadbury Factory and local lookouts and beaches planned for their five-day trip.

The family hopes to return to visit northern Tasmania in future.

Originally published as Tourism surges ahead with record 1.2 million visitors in 2016