Hobart City Council’s Passport to Hobart summer marketing campaign proposal would reward food and beverage patrons

Keen foodies and thirsty punters will be able to share in vouchers rewarding dining and drinking out, under a new scheme by Hobart City Council. DETAILS + HOW IT WORKS >>

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PATRONS to Hobart’s pubs, cafes and restaurants would be rewarded for collecting digital stamps as part of a new council campaign to help support local business.

The Hobart City Council will consider at its Monday meeting a report on a proposal for a marketing campaign to support Hobart food and beverage venues over the traditionally busy summer period.

Phoebe Wilding and Ari Gilham at Post Street Social. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

The trial campaign – likely to be named Passport to Hobart – would see participants collect ‘stamps’ on a digital passport, which the report said was “a nod on the inability to travel currently, but rather focusing on travelling around exploring our own city”.

The digital passport would be used through an application called Stamp Me, a Melbourne-based organisation.

Patrons download the app, receive a $10 welcome voucher and once they collect five stamps from participating venues by spending at least $20, the customer receives a $20 voucher.

GOOD EATING GUIDE - Jack Greene, Salamanca. Venison and Pork Burger, Huon Valley Mushroom, Tasmanian grain fed eye fillet mignon.

The council report said there wold be a maximum amount of vouchers available, allocated on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis.

The 6-8-week program, beginning in mid-December would cost a total of approximately $90,000.

All food and beverage businesses in the City of Hobart area would be invited to participate through an expression of interest program, with the number of venues participating needing to be at least 25.

“In order to gauge initial feedback from businesses, officers have reached out to a number of venue owners/managers to determine their feedback on the campaign,” the report said.

“In general, businesses are keen to participate in any form of promotion at this unknown time of a pandemic.”

A paper version ‘passport’ in lieu of the digital app would also be made available at an additional cost to council of $17,000.

Tasmanian Hospitality Association CEO Steve Old applauded the initiative, but said operators were approaching the summer trading season “hugely nervous”.

CEO of the Tasmnaian Hospitality Association, Steve Old. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“Anything that drives customers back into venues at this time is a good thing of course,” he said.

“Operators are still hugely nervous given stand up drinking is still in place indoors, there’s one in two square metre restrictions and dancing restrictions.

“They feel like they’re facing three winters in a row – last winter, this summer which will be more like a winter trade and then another winter to go before we get to the 2020-21 summer.”