From Flinders Island to Derwent Valley businesses are getting into the discount getaway swing

From the Derwent Valley to Flinders Island, tourism business operators from around the state have jumped on board to make sure locals get a great deal on holiday fun. SEE ALL THE DEALS + TRAVEL VOUCHER LATEST >>

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TRAVEL vouchers have landed in the email inboxes of Tasmanians as more accommodation businesses across the state offer special deals to ensure more locals get to enjoy a discounted holiday and drive extra domestic tourism activity.

From the Derwent Valley to the East Coast and Flinders Island, businesses are cutting prices and even offering free deals to make sure the holiday at home joy and dollar is spread around.

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Liz Virtue from Glen Derwent in the Derwent Valley, which boasts tea rooms and three self-contained units, said she decided to knock $100 per night off the price of her accommodation after learning how many people had missed out on jagging a government travel voucher.

Glen Derwent co owner Liz Virtue at New Norfolk. Picture Chris Kidd

The Tasmanian government’s Make Yourself at Home vouchers came online at 9am on Monday morning and all $7.5 million worth were snapped up within 40 minutes.

The vouchers were supposed to be sent within 24 hours of that time but the delivery was delayed because duplicate applications were detected and an audit was done to ensure fairness. Most have been received.

“We were a little sad with how quickly the Tasmanian travel vouchers ran out,” Mrs Virtue said.

“I guess we should have known that while $7.5 million sounds like a lot of money, if you divide it by $150 per person, fewer than 10 per cent of Tasmanians would succeed in registering.

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“To cheer us and everyone else up, we’re taking $100 (and breakfast) off our nightly rates for stays of three or more nights from now until the end of November.”

Mrs Virtue said her business only had a handful of booking between now and Christmas so to fill her units at a reduced price was better than having them sit empty.

Picnic Island owner Clem Newton-Brown said his business was offering its own independent $100 travel voucher discount for two night midweek bookings up until the end of November.

The island, about 6km from Wineglass Bay, is offering one voucher per guest rather than one per room.

“So with 10 guests it usually costs $440 per person for a two-night night stay. This will be reduced to $340 per person for both nights, including water taxi to the island,” Mr Newton-Brown said.

“If people were lucky enough to get a Tasmanian Government voucher they can also claim this to further reduce the costs.”

On Flinders Island, Sawyers Bay Shacks will give the same government voucher discount on the same terms to those who missed out.

Flinders Island. Picture: Supplied.

“Tasmanians have really risen to the challenge of helping out the local tourism industry and at Sawyers Bay Shacks we want to say thanks and make sure those who missed out on getting a voucher can still stay at a discounted rate,” a spokesman said.

Franklin Labor MP David O’Byrne said the bungled delivery of the vouchers and disappointment of those who missed out raised questions about the program’s effectiveness.

Mr O’Byrne said he supported the idea of a second tranche of the scheme but urged the government to address shortcomings in the delivery of the first round.