Tasmania State Budget 2019: Budget booster for Taste of Tasmania

UPDATED: Regional Tasmania was again the focus of government spending to cater for tourism.

REGIONAL Tasmania was again the focus of government spending to cater for tourism.

The 2019-20 State Budget contained few surprises for the tourism sector, which had benefited significantly last year from big-spending election announcements.

Brand Tasmania chair and Bruny Island Cheese founder Nick Haddow said the regional focus was important to ensure visitor spending was spread as far and wide as possible.

“Southern Tasmania and particularly Hobart and surrounding areas have enjoyed huge visitation in the last few years, but that hasn’t necessarily flowed to the other regions, and these budget items will go a long way to addressing that,” Mr Haddow said.

The Taste of Tasmania will receive $500,000 over the next two years in a bid to secure the event’s future.

Events Tasmania has been given the job of supporting festival organisers to “explore opportunities to secure the event’s long-term financial stability”.

The State Government will provide $500,000 over two years to help secure the Taste of Tasmania’s future. Picture: SUPPLIED

The West Coast Wilderness Railway will undergo a $16 million upgrade.

The railway, which attracted more than 32,000 people last year, is experiencing 7.21 per cent visitor growth year-on-year.

The budget maintains commitments for the $80 million Cradle Mountain cableway project and the $20 million Next Iconic Walk – but there are no still hints about where the walk will be.

Funding commitments for the Cradle Mountain cableway project have been reconfirmed in the 2019-20 State Budget.

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Businesses in the regional tourism sector will also have access to low interest loans of up to $1 million under a new $20 million regional tourism attraction loan scheme.

Other initiatives included:

BUSINESS Events Attraction fund worth $1.2 million, to bring major international business events to the state.

$31 MILLION over four years to “future-proof” visitor infrastructure in parks and reserves.

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