Tourism Tasmania chief James Cretan says marketing spend yields ‘sensational’ results

A MULTI-MILLION dollar marketing spend of $15.2 million by Tourism Tasmania has paid off as predicted with “sensational” results for the 2015-16 season.

Asian tourists being guided by Chinese-speaking guides at one of Tasmania’s most popular attractions, the Port Arthur Historic Site. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

A MULTI-MILLION dollar marketing spend of $15.2 million by Tourism Tasmania has paid off as predicted with “sensational” results for the 2015-16 season.

For the first time Tasmania welcomed more than one million interstate visitors and reached the $2 billion visitor spend mark.

“Tourism Tasmania invested in a variety of marketing programs aimed at attracting more visitors to Tasmania, and the results have been sensational,’’ chairman James Cretan said in the Tourism Tasmania annual report.

Two major domestic marketing campaigns and a smaller winter one, Season of Curious, contributed to the remarkable visitation rate, he said.

“Our partnership with Dark Mofo in our Season of Curious winter activation strengthened our marketing message using brand-aligned content and promoted the event on behalf of the event organisers to increase sales,’’ he said.

Tourism Tasmania chairman James Cretan on the Hobart waterfront.

Tasmania was second only to Queensland for domestic travellers, who came via an increased number of air and sea routes.

Airline capacity increased by 173,658 new seats between the state’s two main airports and Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

TT-Line ran a total of 33 extra day sailings over peak season, with visitors arriving on Spirit of Tasmania growing by 17 per cent to 138,400 (March 2016).

In the 2015-16 summer, there were 59 cruise ship port calls in Tasmania — delivering 163,328 passengers and crew and adding an estimated $32 million to the state’s economy.

Big growth in cruise ship visits is forecast for the next two seasons, with 96 port calls booked for 2016-17 and 129 calls already booked for 2017-18.

The tourism industry directly and indirectly supports about 36,700 jobs or 15.3 per cent of total Tasmanian employment, and contributes about $2.55 billion to the economy or 9.9 per cent of the gross state product.

Originally published as Tourism Tasmania chief James Cretan says marketing spend yields ‘sensational’ results