Ideas snapped up for Tassie winter tourism

A TRIP to a winter wonderland has supplied food for thought on how Tasmanians could enhance their colder months.

Tasmanian Instagram sensation, Paul Fleming is back from his trip to Canada, courtesy of

A WHIRLWIND trip to a winter wonderland has given a Hobart Instagram enthusiast food for thought on how Tasmanians could enhance their enjoyment of the colder months.

Paul Fleming, 32, who has the Instagram name of @lovethywalrus, has recently returned from a trip to Canada funded by the Canadian Tourism Commission.

The Hotel de Glace - it's temporary and built in a new design each year.

He was among a group of top Australian Instagram users selected for the trip because of their social media reach. Participants were asked to photograph their journey and share their images with their followers to promote Canadian tourism.

Mr Fleming has more than 31,000 followers on Instagram.

The nine-day trip took in the best of Canada’s winter attractions: an ice hotel, a family-friendly winter festival, a 12-night outdoor electronic music festival in an industrial wharf area, dog sledding and the beautiful French architecture of Quebec City and Montreal.

Mr Fleming said although Canada had the advantage of thick snow to enhance its wintry wonderment, the trip opened his eyes to possibilities for Tasmania’s winter.

“All their old buildings were lit up with fairy lights and floodlights, it really draws people outside,” he said.

Dog sledding through the wilds of Charlevoix, about an hour from Quebec City.

“We have a mindset here that winter is a quiet time and everything closes, but over there they do the opposite. They embrace the cold. It’s -20C at times but people are still going outside and enjoying themselves. To liven up the winter, Quebec puts on a winter wonderland of festivals and activities.”

Canadian Tourism Commission managing director Donna Campbell said the Instagram trip generated valuable marketing.

“The social media engagement was mind-boggling, proving again and again that people connect with a destination through beautiful imagery,’’ she said.