The new Spirit of Tasmania ferries will increase car spaces by 60 per cent

The number of road tripping tourists will increase by up to 60 per cent thanks to the new Spirit of Tasmania ferries. Is regional Tasmania ready?

From left, Tourism Industry Council CEO Amy Hills, East Coast Tourism chair Jen Fry and Destination Southern Tasmania CEO Alex Heroys in Hobart discussing the growth potential offered by the new Spirit of Tasmania ferries.

Upgrades to tourist routes, caravan and camper infrastructure will be needed to cater for an expected boom in driving tourism in Tasmania, industry leaders say.

The new Spirit of Tasmania IV and V ships are under construction in Finland and due to be delivered next year.

The larger ships will increase vehicle spaces by 60 per cent.

Overall passenger capacity will increase by 30 per cent.

Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania CEO Amy Hills said it was difficult to over-estimate the impact the new vessels would have.

Keel-laying for the first new replacement Spirit of Tasmania ferry in Finland. Picture: Supplied

“But we need our regions to be ready. That’s why today I have been meeting with East Coast Tourism and Destination Southern Tasmania to discuss how we are going to make sure everyone gets the most out of the opportunities coming our way,” Ms Hills said.

“We are working with local businesses and local communities to make sure they can ensure the increase in regional visitation creates a really positive impact.

“We also need to make sure we are getting more visitors off the beaten track and exploring different parts of Tasmania. That will be a challenge, but as a State we are up to the task.

“There’s so much potential for regions from Bay of Fires in the North East right through to Hastings in the south and everywhere in between but we need to make sure we do it right so that visitors and locals can make the most of the opportunity.”

Great Eastern Drive, Tasmania. The Bay of Fires is a bay on the northeastern coast of Tasmania, extending from Binalong Bay to Eddystone Point. Picture: Sean Scott

East Coast Tasmania Tourism chair Jen Fry said the Great Eastern Drive and other local roads would need improvements to handle the extra traffic.

“The road infrastructure on the East Coast does need urgent attention and we have been asking for funding from both the state and federal governments in order to make that a reality for all the visitors that will be coming on the Great Eastern Drive,” Ms Fry said.

“Safe roads are a priority for everyone, Tasmanians and visitors alike.”

Destination Southern Tasmania CEO Alex Heroys said the state would need more infrastructure to support driving tourists such as EV charging stations and improved caravan and camper access.

“This is a great thing for regional tourism. For us, especially in our region, we know that 44 per cent of visitors to Cockle Creek at the moment come off the Spirit, 34 per cent of visitors to Dover come off the Spirit, and 13 per cent of visitors overall to Hobart city come off the Spirit,” Mr Heroys said.