Held in Hobart, the North will have a strong representation amongst the 70-odd finalists. 

A number of northern businesses are entering for the first time including three-day musical festival Party in the Paddock and Hawthorn Football Club. 

Festival director Jesse Higgs said it was Party in the Paddock’s first time being nominated for any award, which was a “fantastic thing”. 

“We’ve been looking to actively bring as many people as we can to Northern Tasmania and we have a great percentage of interstate people coming down each year,” he said. 

“With close to a couple of thousand people that come here from interstate and internationally each year for the festival.”

Mr Higgs said the festival was now associated with the state’s brand. 

“The name the island is starting to generate is amazing and it’s awesome to be recognised as one of Tasmania’s music and arts festival contributors,” he said.  

Hawthorn Football Club Tasmanian state manager David Cox said a football club being nominated for a tourism award was something outside the box and untouched by his field. 

“It’s a real endorsement of the different ways we contribute to Tasmania. Our vision in Tasmanian was to give back to the community in as many different ways as we could beyond just football,” Mr Cox said. 

“We really give fantastic benefits to Tasmania through our channels and following by distributing destination information and really amplifying the Tasmanian brand and shining a light on the experiences you can have in Tasmania.

Nominating the club for a tourism award was part of the club’s philosophy of daring to be different, he said. 

“One of the things that underpins us as a club nationally, whether it’s in football, operations or innovation, we always dare to be different and this is a really great way of bringing to light how we’re daring to be different.” 

The sold-old awards will be attended by 600 people.  

Other Northern finalists: