The eyes of the mountain bike world will be turned back to the North-East in 2021, when the global event returns to Tasmania.

Next year's calendar will feature brand new venues, reimagined classics and an expanded E-bike series with the Blue Derby trails getting to enjoy a global spotlight for the third time. Enduro Tasmania was a ground-breaking event when it first visited Derby in early 2017.

Helping to create the juggernaut that the Blue Derby project has become, both the 2017 and the 2019 return received the highest acclaim by winning the trail of the year award. The 2019 edition of Enduro Tasmania saw 5000 spectators cheering the riders on.

Blue Derby trails is a fantastic example of a small town reinventing itself, finding its own niche among the literal rocky trails that surround the town.

It is this type of reinvention that will need to be at the heart of small town revivals in Tasmania, as population grows in the cities, there are some small towns that are at risk of population decline.

However, if Derby and Tasmania continue to punch above their weight it will lead to more tourism growth over time.

As we have seen in the past with Coles Bay and Freycinet, and in the example of the lack of a tourism strategy for Ben Lomond, increased tourism numbers lead to increased pressure on infrastructure, particularly for small towns that are not used to such sustained visitation.

It is clear that Derby in particular has sustained this growth in mountain bike tourism, enough so that it has secured the world series for two years.

A plan will need to be in place to continue to support the growth at Derby for the future, with targeted investment and a strategic plan to ensure the quality of the event and visitor numbers are sustained.

It is commendable that the town has been able to create its new identity and that it is being recognised on a global scale - let's see that reinvention be rewarded.