Tourism is a fickle business. A big AFL game in Melbourne or sold out concert can affect the periphery, like Tasmania.

Tasmania has its wilderness but the government faces a backlash from the purists in its bid to attract eco-tourists.

We depend so much on tourism as an emerging industry because the resource sectors and manufacturing are diminishing. Jobs have got to come from somewhere.

In Launceston, we have to be equipped for more than just showcasing the Gorge, and Tamar Valley wine routes.

Hobart has Mount Wellington, Mona and a world-class harbour, but tourists are insatiable beasts. They want more. They want bargain fly-drive packages or the lure of a cheap trip with the family on the Spirit ferries.

How much does it take for Launceston's accommodation to become booked out? An AFL game and one other big event would do that, but can we afford to have a plentiful supply of beds in the visitor down times?

As well, Tasmania's service industry needs training or retraining. There are plenty of customers who will testify to industry rudeness and laziness. Customer reviews can be dynamite on websites. A few bad reviews will undermine a fortune spent on promotion.

The conservation lobby ought to ponder the following observations.

They once demonised the Hydro and the dams era as environmental vandalism, but are now content to promote hydro electricity as a clean green treasure of Tasmania.

They once promoted tourism as the answer to mining and forestry but now won't have a bar of eco-tourism.

This is the culture we need to address, if we are to crown tourism as the major industry for our embattled state.