It has been eight years since the Tamar Valley welcomed a cruise ship to the region but that will change in January, 2018.
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As part of a 40-day circumnavigation of Australia the L’Austral will berth at Inspection Head Wharf at Beauty Point.
It is hoped the L’Austral is the first of a number of cruise lines which will make the Tamar Valley a must-stop port.
Tourism Northern Tasmania chief executive Chris Griffin said he had worked closely with TasPorts, Tourism Tasmania and three councils, West Tamar, George Town and Launceston, to position the Tamar Valley as a cruise ship destination.
He said the booking by the L’Austral opened the door for discussions with other operators.
“Last week we were able to present to all the cruise ship lines, as well as the shore excursions agencies, and every single one of them received the idea really positively,” Mr Griffin said.
“The key thing with Inspection Head is it’s not an operating port like Burnie or Bell Bay is, so you can safely disembark passengers onto the wharf area without having to worry about a front end loader getting in the way.”
He said there was potential to develop the wharf and turn it into a tourism precinct, as well as a cruise ship terminal, to take advantage of Tasmania’s tourism boom.
West Tamar mayor Christina Holmdahl said it was a chance to expose the under recognised region of Tasmania to visitors.
“It’s exposing what we do really well, our beautiful natural environment, some of the best wineries in Australia, we have recreational facilities, we have growing artist colonies and there is a lot of interest in that area,” she said.
“I think it’s a small enough place to get around and see thoroughly, so when you leave you’ll really feel like you had a flavour of what the Tamar Valley is all about."
George Town mayor Bridget Archer said the location at Inspection Head provided a great opportunity as a step off point for the whole region. “Everything is really a very accessible distance for half day and full day tours,” she said.