Tourism operators await delivery of Liberal leader Will Hodgman’s promised five-star plan

CHEAP fares on the Spirit of Tasmania and increased development in Tasmania’s national parks may soon become a reality.

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin is hoping for a whole-of-go

CHEAP fares on the Spirit of Tasmania and increased development in Tasmania’s national parks will soon be a reality, if the newly elected State Government delivers on its promises to the tourism industry.

Tourism operators are expecting the Hodgman Government to deliver big gains for the industry, with Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin praising the Liberals’ election pitch as possibly the most comprehensive tourism agenda developed by a Tasmanian political party.

Mr Martin said there were already people with ideas and concepts under way for developments in Tasmania’s national parks.

“This is not a radical idea. It’s a process that Queensland has adopted and they have seen a lot of proposals come forward,” he said.
“(Already) 12 proposals have come up, at all different scales, that are now being assessed and developed.

“We’re not talking scary Club Med-style development, (it’s) things like low-impact walks, standing permanent] camps and low-impact accommodation.”

Mr Martin said Tasmania already had excellent examples of developments in national parks, including the award-winning Maria Island multi-day walk, which has fixed camp facilities.

He said it was important to improve access to national parks and World Heritage Areas, for things like seaplanes and cruise ships.

He also expected the new Government to tackle the issue of replacement ships for the Spirit of Tasmania and deliver on its promise to cut fares, in line with its focus on growing passenger numbers instead of profit.

Fares were tipped to fall as much as 20 per cent.

With plans to grow annual visitor numbers from the current 1 million to 1.5 million by 2020, Will Hodgman has promised to take on the tourism portfolio.

“No other Australian premier or chief minister serves as tourism minister but we know how effective Jim Bacon was as ‘Premier for Tourism’ and also with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key serving as tourism minister,” he said.

Mr Martin said the new tourism minister would have to address uncertainty about the future of the chairmanship of Tourism Tasmania, after the current chairman accepted another senior position with a rival visitor destination.

“This position is critical.”