Right across Tasmania our tourism businesses, and those that rely on them either in part or totally, have been doing it incredibly tough since the pandemic swept all before it.

Some will never return, but for those who have managed to hang on, they must be hoping for an influx of interstate tourists once the border restrictions are lifted.

Many Australians who have had their travel plans over the bulk of 2020 destroyed are looking to get out and explore.

And for the foreseeable future, that will be within the bounds of Australia.

Which is why the call for increased support for cars to come to Tasmania on the Spirit ferries is so vital.

To some it is the closest they will get to an overseas holiday for some time.

It's particularly important for those in the more far flung areas of the North-West and North-East, because people who come by boat with their own transport are a lot more likely to get off the beaten track.

Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania CEO Luke Martin is adamant that eliminating the cost of bringing a vehicle to the state will be an important incentive.

"We know Australians are likely to be looking for driving holidays, and we must compete with regional destinations across Australia that cost a tank of fuel to reach," Martin said.

Anything that can be done to give our tourism industry a boost should be put in place as soon as possible.

Tens of thousands of people will be making their plans for the coming months, hopeful of getting out and about across our wide brown land.

We want to see as many as possible coming south to Tasmania.

The Commonwealth, which pays out on the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme, will have been saving a lot in the last six months.

Now is the time to take some of that an reinvest it in getting the tourism sector in the state back on track.