Tassie accommodation nearing capacity as New Year approaches

Some Hobart hotels are booked out right through to February as summer visitors flock to the state.

MACq01 hotel on Macquarie Wharf in Hobart. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE.

AIRBNB is expecting a bumper season in Tasmania this Christmas/New Year season, with a record number of stays already booked and many of Tasmania’s biggest hotels also already booked out for the festive period.

‘IT PUTS THE BRAKES ON FOR SUMMER’

So while this could spell bad news for anyone who has yet to book their accommodation for Hobart over the New Year period, it is great news for the hospitality industry.

“This really is the time of year to make hay while the sun shines,” Destination Southern Tasmania CEO Alex Heroys said.

Destination Southern Tasmania CEO, Alex Heroys. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

“And the weather is doing us some real favours, people want to get away from extreme heat of the mainland and come here for a bit of air, and we always expect hotels to be at capacity this time of year.”

AIRBNB REVEALS HOW MANY TASMANIAN HOMES IT HAS ON BOOKS

More than 200,000 guests are expected to use Airbnb properties in Australia this New Year’s Eve, making it the busiest night ever on Airbnb in Australia, with Hobart ranking tenth in the list of top destinations for overseas visitors and the ninth most popular Airbnb destination in the world for Australian travellers.

Just over a third of all Airbnb guests in Tasmania over the New Year period will be Tasmanians holidaying in their home state.

And it is looking like a strong season for the rest of the hospitality industry in Tasmania as well, with many hotels already at capacity between now and the first week of January as visitors flock in from interstate for the Taste Festival and the finish of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Steve Old general manager of the Tasmanian Hospitality Association.

“November just gone has been a few per cent up on previous years and December, even with new venues in the market, has been very strong with very high occupancy rates, which is fantastic,” Tasmanian Hospitality Association general manager Steve Old said.

Hobart’s MACq01 is essentially a full house all summer, with duty manager Emily Barwin saying the hotel was at 95 per cent capacity all the way through to the Wooden Boat Festival in February.

“We have a couple of nights available here and there but not much,” she said.

MACq01 hotel is heavily booked over the New Year period.

Also on the waterfront, Zero Davey is practically booked out right through the holiday period as well, general manager Tom Darke saying the venue was always popular with sailors and their families who were in Hobart for the finish of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

“We get a lot of return visitors, too,” he said. “Some of them simply book in for the same time every year.”

Wrest Point is also at capacity, with their New Year’s Eve concert featuring Ice House, helping to guarantee strong visitor numbers.

And the benefits are expected to flow to the whole state, especially with Mona Foma being held in Launceston in January, luring visitors to the north of the state and its surrounds.

“It’s not just about the accommodation, because wherever people stay, they will spend time exploring other parts of the state and all that time they will eat in our restaurants, drink in our bars and cafes and the whole industry benefits,” Mr Old said.