Hobart set to cash in on growing domestic tourism market

WITH domestic tourism on the rise, Hobart is poised to benefit more than any other capital city.

Hobart accommodation operators Katy and Tony Lowe are experiencing high occupancy rates for their apartments as the holiday r...

WITH domestic tourism on the rise, Hobart is poised to benefit more than any other capital city.

The latest BIS Shrapnel report reveals the holiday rental market across Australia has grown to be worth $31 billion and supports more than 235,000 jobs.

Hobart has the highest concentration of holiday properties of any capital city, with 45 per cent of Tasmania’s 13,299 rental homes in the South of the state.

Outside of the capital, the East Coast was found to have 25.1 per cent of the state’s holiday properties, followed by Launceston and the North (16.3 per cent) and the North-West (13.7 per cent).

The report, commissioned by the Holiday Rental Industry Association, found holiday rentals generate over $3 billion in direct spending on items such as car hire, local transport, restaurant meals, self-catering and entertainment as part of tourists’ overall holiday expenditure.

“From a regional perspective, state and local government policies that support the sustainable growth of the holiday and short-term rentals will drive economic growth, jobs and visitation in these regions,’’ association chairwoman Allison Manners said.

Since opening their ultra-modern inner-city self-contained accommodation two years ago, Katy and Tony Lowe have experienced an occupancy rate of 85-90 per cent for their WareHaus apartments in West Hobart.

“I think Hobart is increasingly becoming alive,’’ Mrs Lowe said.

“We’ve got the Taste, the yachts, Dark MOFO and the Festival of Voices, which make it a really happening place.

“I think people want to be able to experience these things but not be stuck in a great big city.

“They want to be somewhere where everything is accessible and you get a range of experiences.’’

As far as typical Tasmanian experiences go, Mrs Lowe said the Museum of Old and New Art was easily the number one destination for WareHaus guests.

”People want to go even though sometimes they don’t even really know what it is or what they’re going to experience, but they’ve heard about it and been told they must go,’’ she said.