TOURISM bodies are encouraging residents to get family and friends to take advantage of cheap flights on sale to Tasmania for the winter months.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But residents should also be looking to have a get away, they say.
Tourism Northern Tasmania chief executive Chris Griffin and Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said it was important that visitors and residents took advantage of the cheap tickets to ensure flight numbers did not reduce over this period.
Typically airlines will reduce the number of flights into and out of Tasmania over the quiet winter months and increase them when it starts to heat up.
Yesterday Jetstar put on sale numerous cheap flights, with Melbourne to Launceston flights starting at $29 and from Sydney $39.
Locals wanting to escape the cooler months can pick up flights for the same price to those destinations, as well as travel further afield to Brisbane for $85, Auckland for $156 and Bali for $226.
Virgin and Qantas are also offering slightly reduced flights and Tiger Airlines has a two-for-one deal to or from Hobart and Melbourne for $49.
Mr Griffin said offering cheap tickets to Launceston was a great way to encourage people to start their Tasmanian holiday in the North.
"The big thing for us, is that if you've been thinking of travelling to Tassie and you see great prices, it could just be the thing that tips you over the edge to book that holiday," Mr Griffin said.
He said Hawthorn football games and the Junction Arts Festival were the drawcard events to the North during this time.
However, food-based events were also becoming commonplace.
Mr Martin said by encouraging relatives and friends to visit during the quieter months, they'll not only get a bargain on a flight but be able to take in some of the unique winter events.
He said if visitors and Tasmanians didn't take advantage of such deals, the airlines often looked to alternate destinations to put on flights and the state may miss out.