About $4.5 million has been invested on 100 kilometres of new trails in North-East Tasmania across the Hollybank and Blue Derby networks.

By 2018, it is hoped it will return 15,000 visitors a year, add $15.7 million to the economy and create 94 full-time jobs.

That is without the state government’s $1.2 million investment in the West Coast on eight trails connecting Zeehan, Rosebery and Tullah.

Plus the $360,000 Snug to Margate Trail Project and $149,000 for the Risdon Vale Bikes and Trails Project.

Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the state’s scenic roads, mountain bike and cycling tracks would help the government reach its 1.5 million annual visitors to Tasmania target by 2020.

‘‘In the year to September, around 28,600 visitors got on their bike for a cycling or mountain bike experience in Tasmania with some 2600 using a bike as their main form of getting around while touring our island,’’ he said.

Tourism Northern Tasmania chief executive Chris Griffin said within the next decade it was hoped mountain biking visitors would be more than 40,000 people per year.

‘‘Mountain biking generally speaking is a growing recreational sport and motivation to travel,’’ Mr Griffin said.

‘‘Our topography works beautifully in terms of building good trails and we are seeing that with the Juggernaut Trail at Hollybank.

‘‘One of the most valid things for us in having trails basically in wilderness areas is the proximity to airports and city centres.

‘‘Notably, Hollybank is 20 minutes from Launceston, and Derby will be no more than and hour and a half from the airport.

‘‘That proximity is really important.

Mr Griffin said mountain bikers spent big as they travelled in groups of between two and six people, travel consistently and were inclined to return to trails regularly.

He said there was certain infrastructure required to support the growing mountain biking market, including accommodation in rural areas.

‘‘Thinking about Derby at the moment, the township has about six commercial accommodation rooms, we would ideally need about 40,’’ Mr Griffin said.

‘‘That’s where there is a private sector investment opportunity.

‘‘We would be looking at a bike hire and bike facility business, and a shuttle service from Launceston connecting up Hollybank and Blue Derby.

‘‘A lot of where we are spending our time now is one promoting the launches of the trails and getting profile and market, but secondly working with industry about being cycle-friendly.’’

The first piece of the Blue Derby network will open on February 7. The  North-East network is expected to be completed by 2017.

There are also plans to develop or upgrade track in the Meehan Ranges, Mount Wellington and West Coast.

Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding said he has had discussions with Bicycle Network Tasmania about a range of opportunities for on and off-road infrastructure improvements, and potential cycling tourism events.

TOURISM operator Buck Gibson has been busy all summer transporting mountain bikers to a new sensation, the Hollybank Mountain Bike Park.

Particularly Juggernaut - the most talked-about trail in Tasmania.

Mr Gibson has run Vertigo Mountain Biking for the past four years and said business was increasing dramatically.

He offers statewide tours, equipment hire and a shuttle service, and said that it was an exciting time brought on by rapid growth in high-standard Northern Tasmanian trails.

Mr Gibson said once the Blue Derby Mountain Bike Trails network fully opened, mountain bikers from across Australia would fly into Tasmanian two or three times a year - like golfers did.

"You've got to motivate people to get on a plane or boat," he said.

Mr Gibson said people were genuinely excited about what was around the corner based on the success of Hollybank.

He said 90 per cent of riders from interstate or overseas told him that Juggernaut was the best track they had ever ridden.

"There are potentially 100 riders a day just on Juggernaut," Mr Gibson said.

He said when trails were completed in the North-East and West Coast, visitors would be able to come to Tasmania and ride every day for a week.

ASIDE from the excitement surrounding mountain biking in Tasmania, cycling the state's unique roads is also mooted as a tourist hit.

Tourism Northern Tasmania chief executive Chris Griffin said Tour de France champion Chris Froome's promotion of Tasmania's roads during his visit in November was priceless.

"We have to appreciate that we had one of the world's leading road cyclists in Launceston and his opinion of Tasmania's roads was that these are outstanding roads for road cyclists," Mr Griffin said.

"When he says Tasmania is the bee's knees for road cycling, there is a lot of road cyclists in Europe and Australia who will believe that to be true."

Mr Griffin said road cycling's popularity was strong at the moment, especially with marquee events such as the Stan Siejka Launceston Cycling Classic.

However, he said Tasmania's road culture needed adjusting.