Industry - Newsletter

SPECIAL EDITION FROM TOURISM TASMANIA

TOURISM 21 - PLANNING FOR GROWTH
T21 Cover Page The latest iteration of the joint State Government and industry tourism strategic framework was launched yesterday by the Minister for Tourism, Arts and the Environment, Paula Wriedt.

Tourism 21: Strategic Business Plan 2007-2010 is the fifth iteration of the landmark strategy that was first launched 10 years ago to set out how the industry and Government will work together to take advantage of growth opportunities.

Ms Wriedt said the two historic milestones of one million visitors and $2.2 billion of visitor spend will be achieved during the course of the new three-year strategic plan.

How soon each milestone is reached will depend on the continuing good relations between State Government and industry.

The foundation edition was a landmark event which committed the State Government and Industry to precise targets, strategies and deadlines.

Back in 1997 the industry was made up of some 1300 tourism business, there were less than 500,000 visitor arrivals, and spend was around $585 million.

Since then we have witnessed extraordinary growth resulting in 2,400 tourism businesses in Tasmania today. Around 870,000 visitors are coming here every year and spending just over $2 billion.

The new Plan takes the State Government and industry through to 2010, and paves the way for significant growth over the next three years. It also provides longer-term projections of where our industry could be in 10 years.

It particularly explains how the industry is expected to be influenced over the next 10 years by technology impacting on the way we do business and in people’s perceptions of the world.

Tasmania is endeavouring to stay one step ahead of these challenges, in effect creating opportunities for itself as it moves forward.

To facilitate this, Tourism Tasmania and the industry have agreed to focus on four core strategies:

Create a highly desirable destination;
Market the destination effectively;
Make it easy to travel; and
Deliver on the promise.

The Plan covers issues of access to and from Tasmania, travel distribution, the Internet, climate change, and the challenge of connecting with potential travellers.

It also includes specific activities to be undertaken by Tourism Tasmania and by the Tourism Industry Council Tasmania, in order to achieve new targets within this new Plan.

Targets focus on growth in domestic and international market share and, for the first time, targets for growing the number of Tasmanians holidaying in their own state.

To download the full copy of Tourism 21: Strategic Business Plan 2007-2010 and to revisit the past iterations, visit

Tourism Tasmania’s corporate website.

GROWING TASMANIA ONLINE
Planning and booking a holiday to Tasmania has taken a technological leap forward today with the release of the revamped www.discovertasmania.com website.

The redeveloped website would be a vital resource for potential visitors to Tasmania, providing consumers with an enriched source of destination information making it easy to search, plan and book their Tasmanian holiday.

The discovertasmania.com website already attracts an average of 85,000 unique visitors each month, with 29,000 (or 25 per cent) of those from overseas. Visitor numbers have continued to increase over the past quarter, with rises to the Site of up to 15,000 visitors per month.

Over the next few weeks the website will reveal landing pages for 16 international markets and will appear in eight languages: Chinese (Mandarin and simplified), Japanese, Korean, French, German, Italian and of course English.

The interactive and intuitive website also features regular weather reports; visitor itineraries based on Tasmania’s touring routes; improved search facilities; and will be a global platform for Tourism Tasmania’s marketing campaigns.

The redeveloped website is a part of Tourism Tasmania’s broader strategic approach to digital strategy to continuously improve its use of digital media to ensure it meets the needs of today’s consumers.

This important website redevelopment is just the start of a comprehensive strategic approach by Tourism Tasmania to continuously improve its use of digital media to ensure it meets the needs of today’s consumers, with discovertasmania.com becoming the key portal for all of Tourism Tasmania’s Internet digital communications.

LOCAL TOURISM GRANTS BENEFIT COMMUNITIES
A boutique backpacker development, upgrades to visitor facilities, and the development of a heritage precinct were just some of the successful projects in the 2007-2008 Local Tourism Grant Program to assist tourism development in Tasmania.

Announcing the successful applicants last Thursday, the Minister for Tourism, Arts and the Environment, Paula Wriedt, said the grant recipients demonstrated the potential to enhance visitor experiences and provide significant benefit to local communities.

“Product and regional development is critical to ensuring Tasmania’s visitor experiences are inspiring and engaging,” said Ms Wriedt.

“One of our key aims is to encourage visitors to explore Tasmania’s many regions and in doing so it is essential that our on-ground products match visitor expectations.

The Local Tourism Grant Program contributes to tourism development state-wide, with successful applicants in 2007-2008 from the North-West, Launceston, the Tasman Peninsula, the North-East Coast and the Southern Midlands.

The successful applicants received grants of up to $5,000 towards their respective project.

Grants totalling $44,381 were awarded to nine groups from across the State as part of the 2007-2008 program, with further contributions from communities, local government and local associations adding more than $110,000 to regional tourism development.

“Importantly, each project contributes to enhancing Tasmania’s visitor experiences and significantly benefits the local community and its personality,” Ms Wriedt said.

Administered by Tourism Tasmania in consultation with the three Regional Tourism Authorities – Cradle Coast Authority, Northern Tasmania Development and Totally South Tourism – the Local Tourism Development Grant Program plays an important role in providing accessible funds for smaller groups and associations.

“The grant program offers an opportunity for local community groups and associations who may not be as competitive against the bigger operators for the larger grant schemes.

“This program has a strong focus of experience development at the grass-roots level, ensuring a firm foundation within regional communities,” Ms Wriedt said.

Local Tourism Development Grant 2007-2008 Recipients:

Tasman Council – interpretive experiences project – $5,000
Houghton Pty Ltd, trading as Hawley’s Gingerbread House – boutique backpacker development – $5,000
Bay of Fires Dive – upgrade to facilities to introduce the Great Rock Lobster Hunt – $3,013
Heritage Highway Tourism Centre, Southern Midlands Council – Shadows of the Past: development of web-based visitor interpretation materials – $4,988
Tourism East Tasmania Inc. – development of a North-East Coast precinct brand and training in brand alignment for operators – $5,000
Wursthaus at Olivers – establishment of a gallery and function room on the premises with café and catering facilities – $5,000
Waratah-Wynyard Council – development of a heritage precinct at Waratah – $4880
Penghana Bed and Breakfast – Penghana Attic Rediscovery Project – $5,000
National Trust of Australia (TAS) – grant for the development of web-based products and to examine linkages to existing products and distribution plans – $1,500 and $5,000

TASSIE HOTELS ON CONDÉ NAST GOLD LIST
Three Tasmanian hotels have been chosen by Condé Nast Traveller as the best hotels in the world as a part of the magazine’s 2008 Gold List awards.

Freycinet Lodge, Bay of Fires Lodge and the Henry Jones Art Hotel were congratulated today by the Minister for Tourism, Arts and the Environment, Paula Wriedt.

Condé Nast Traveller is the United Kingdom’s premier travel magazine with a global circulation of over 85,000 and the Gold List is its ultimate guide to the world’s top hotels.

The annual Gold List is a selection of the best hotels from around the world, voted by readers and the magazine’s editors to have the best service, rooms, food, ambiance and design, location and leisure facilities.

Ms Wriedt said Freycinet Lodge was selected for the excellent food served at its two restaurants; the Bay of Fires Lodge for its spectacular coastal location; and the Henry Jones Art Hotel for its superbly appointed rooms.

“These accolades, from one of the UK’s most prestigious travel magazines, boost Tasmania’s international reputation and expose the State to thousands of high-spending potential visitors looking for high-quality travel experiences.

“For three Tasmanian hotels to be listed alongside the likes of The Ritz in London and The Peninsula Hong Kong is a significant achievement and recognition of the quality of accommodation on offer in the State,” Ms Wriedt said.

For the full 2008 Gold List see: www.cntraveller.com/GoldList/2008

ROCKET MAN ROCKS TASMANIA
Elton John’s first ever Tasmanian concert on December 8th was a huge success, stimulating intrastate and interstate tourism and raising the State’s profile as a major event destination.

The Minister for Tourism, Arts and the Environment, Paula Wriedt, was at the concert and congratulated Tasmanians for showing their support and enthusiasm for international acts of the calibre of Elton John.

Many Tasmanians registered their support for the concert earlier this year with almost 5,000 fans clicking through to the Elton John section of Tourism Tasmania’s website discovertasmania.com.

The event was supported by Tourism Tasmania through a range of promotional activities and travel packages to lure special event visitors to the State.

The concert highlighted the versatility of Aurora Stadium as an ideal venue for large sporting and entertainment events and the success of this event has prompted discussions for more big events in the State.

NEW GALLERY GIVES KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Bark canoe A new exhibition space for the Tasmanian Aboriginal community presents visitors with a rich, enlightening and inspiring experience.

Ningenneh Tunapry at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery explores the journey of Tasmanian Aboriginal people and is a celebration of all Tasmanian Aboriginal generations – past, present and future.

TMAG Curator of Indigenous Cultures, Tony Brown, said Ningenneh Tunapry means to give knowledge and understanding.

“It is important to share our history and culture and the main focus of the new gallery is the Tasmanian Aboriginal community today – highlighting what has been achieved throughout the years,” he said.

A feature of the exhibition will be the first bark canoe built by the Tasmanian Aboriginal community in more than 170 years will be a feature of the exhibition.

The major themes of the new gallery are the bark canoe project, traditional life, invasion, the development of community and the fight for recognition, mutton birding, and contemporary cultural activities, including shell necklace making, basket weaving, kelp water carriers and dance.
The new gallery is makes use of interactive multi-media, with a number of touch screens and tactile experiences for visitors, and audio commentaries on contemporary Tasmanian Aboriginal culture.

A contemplation room also gives visitors the chance to sit and reflect at the end of their visit to the new gallery.

The gallery’s conclusion panel encapsulates the essence of the exhibition space, a place for sharing the story of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, celebrating its survival and moving forward to a positive future.

The new, permanent gallery is open now.