Tassie not a tourism ‘tipping point’ yet but we need to be prepared, says Tourism Australia MD John O’Sullivan

TASMANIA will not be “loved to death’ as long as there is continued investment to deal with the larger volumes of visitors, the nation’s top tourism advocate says.

TASMANIA will not be “loved to death’ as long as there is continued investment to deal with the larger volumes of visitors, the nation’s top tourism advocate says.

Tourism Australia managing director John O’Sullivan said Tasmania had set the tone on how to focus on tourism experiences but it was time to be vigilant and analyse the data, monitor community sentiment, and promote the right parts of the island state at the right time to the right markets.

Tourism Australia MD John O'Sullivan says isolated pockets of Australia, including Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, are already feeling the strain of over-tourism.

“Protecting the environmental features of a destination is really important but it is important when talking of over-tourism that we don’t become a solution looking for a problem,” Mr O’Sullivan told at a Tourism Industry Council Tasmania event at Devonport’s new Parnaple Convention Centre yesterday.

“We are not at the tipping point yet.

“There are isolated pockets feeling the strain — like the Great Ocean Rd in Victoria — but at the moment there is one visitor for every three residents in Australia.

“This compares to places like Barcelona, where there are six visitors for every resident.”

Mr O’Sullivan said he was a big supporter of the $160 million Cradle Mountain Master Plan.

Parks and Widlife’s decision to take private vehicles off the road into Dove Lake during peak visitor periods showed Tasmania was already thinking about how to get people into destinations without jeopardising what they came to experience, he said.

But he warned it was time to invest in accommodation, with Tasmania only having 7300 hotel rooms with another 3300 in the pipeline despite the number of international tourists electing to visit being four times the national average.

PARKS’ PUSH TO EASE SQUEEZE AT CRADLE MT

NO PARKING PUSH FOR NATIONAL PARK

The State Government yesterday officially kicked off its hunt for the site of Tasmania’s next iconic walk.

It has already budgeted $20 million to deliver the next multi-day, hut-based walk and submissions have opened to determine where it will be.

MONEY SET ASIDE FOR NEW MULTI-DAY WALK

“The Overland and Three Capes Tracks have captured the world’s attention and are a major drawcard for the increasing number of local and visiting walkers who want to experience our unrivalled wilderness,” Premier and Tourism Minister Will Hodgman said.

“Our plan is to deliver the next iconic walking experience in another region, and to help make our visitors stay longer, see more of the state, and spend more while they are here.”

Advertisements will be placed in papers this weekend seeking submissions on the Next Iconic Walk. They will remain open until November 24.