I'm confused that despite the Tasmanian government's push to increase Asian visitation to the state, it also seems we are shooting ourselves in the foot.

On the one hand, we have government and business delegations visiting China and popping into a few other Asian locations on a regular basis, spruiking the assets of the state, the food, the wine and its natural beauty.

But on the other, for two weeks, little was done at a state, and also federal level, to address the destruction of the world heritage area by bushfire - which is one of the main reasons so many tourists are marking Tasmania on the map as a "must-go".

While it has been reported that only - thankfully only - 2 per cent, or about 14,000 hectares, of ancient rainforest has been destroyed, Tasmania has potentially lost millions of dollars in tourism.

The reason: national and international media coverage of these ancient rainforests burning. Just a few of the headlines I read in the past few weeks:

Australia: Tasmania's fossil forests that pre-date dinosaurs destroyed by bushfires, International Business Times, UK.

Australia bushfires raze ancient World Heritage-listed forests - Gulf News

Tasmania bushfires raze ancient forests - Taipei Times

Raging Australian bushfires threaten to tear through World Heritage-listed forests that pre-date dinosaurs - South China Morning Post

Often it takes just one bad story for the wrong message to get out and then much harder work is required to make people aware that "OK, it's good to come back now".

While no one is pointing the finger at the hardworking fireys - the question remains, should the response have been better co-ordinated and earlier to prevent the destruction we now know has occurred?

This past week we saw the state and federal Greens and a University of Tasmania fire expert call for an independent federal inquiry into the handling of bushfire resources in the state.

Premier Will Hodgman has said an assessment will be undertaken.

Let's hope the government's message is that our many wilderness walks are reopened and much of the ancient rainforest remains, so visitors are encouraged to keep coming and come back.