It’s a fine line between being a hidden gem or a mass tourism location.
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As more visitors discover Tasmania’s attractions, be it food and wine, wilderness experiences, art and culture or a family escape, tourism operators are striving to raise awareness of the complexities involved, and keep visitor numbers manageable.
The difference between mass tourism and boutique experiences is one the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania is well aware of, as the state looks set to reach its tourism goals before the 2020 deadline.
Pointing to Iceland’s similarity to Tasmania in size, population and wilderness attractions as an example of a ‘discovery’ becoming mainstream, TICT chief executive Luke Martin said keeping Tasmania’s edge was a priority.
He said the focus on growing Tasmania’s tourism industry has paid off over the past four to five years of steady growth in visitor numbers, including 250,300 international visitors in the year to March.
With the hard work already put in to increase awareness and demand, the next step is to sustain supply of infrastructure, products, training and more.
“Tasmania’s tourism has been driven very much by demand, so we’ve tried to stimulate demand and investment will follow,” Mr Martin said.
“You look at the next five to ten years, and the period we’re in now, a lot of the pressures and the challenges are going to be around supply.
“I don’t think we need to train every Tasmanian to be a tour guru, but training also means that Tasmanians in regional parts of the state understand what tourism is and what it’s not.”
While some communities are already adjusting to an influx of visitors, other regions are just becoming the next big thing.
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The East Coast has experienced a 12 per cent growth in visitor numbers over the past year alone, while its North-Eastern neighbour Derby stands as a prime example of destination tourism.
Derby’s Blue Tier mountain bike trails now help support not just the town but the surrounding regions of Branxholm, Weldborough, St Helens and Scottsdale.
But to the South, two of Bruny Island’s community organisations have stopped working with the state government on a Destination Action Plan, saying their communities were overwhelmed and over capacity.
President of the Bruny Island Community Association Fran Davis said the “goodwill” of the Island’s population was “stretched to the limit in providing voluntary services” to tourists, having experienced a 70 per cent increase in visitor numbers over the past two years.
Bruny Island Environment Network’s Bob Graham said infrastructure was important but there was a greater need to manage tourism activity in balance with the Island’s needs.
Mr Martin said one of the biggest issues is encouraging Tasmanians to consider careers in tourism, whether it be translating agriculture experience into outdoor adventures, regional retail into hospitality, or more.
Working to increase awareness of tourism as a viable long-term career, Mr Martin said a positive sign was many young Tasmanians are taking up vocational training courses that enable them to stay in their home towns and find work.
“The next 10 to 15 years of Tasmanian tourism is going to be defined by how we grapple with these infrastructure challenges, and how we engage Tasmanians in the industry in many different ways,” he said.