 |
 |
Industry - Newsletter
Tourism Talk Edition 237
TASMANIA SAYS G’DAY USA
Tasmania’s world-class food, contemporary design and wild, exciting places to visit are being promoted at more events than ever before during G’Day USA: Australia Week 2008.
Tasmania is participating in almost 20 different events over ten days in Los Angeles and New York City to ensure the State is upfront at every opportunity.
The aim is to take Tasmania to a wide audience and our attendance at Australia Week events is being backed up by a wealth of marketing and media activities
A contingent of prominent Tasmanians, including Leader for the Government in the Upper House Doug Parkinson and Tourism Tasmania Chief Executive Officer Felicia Mariani, is currently in Los Angeles, meeting industry and tourism representatives, and conducting media interviews.
Tasmania is being promoted in the USA in a number of creative ways including the broadcast of two Tasmanian travel programs on cable television network CN8 reaching 24 million viewers, on banners at Aussie Youth Day promotions in Los Angeles, and at a signature media event in New York City.
Several key Tasmanian personalities are helping to promote our State during G’Day USA: Australia Week 2008, including Launceston actor Rachael Taylor, who appeared in the movie Transformers.
International golfer Mathew Goggin, who hails from Hobart, is leading the Tasmanian contingent at the Australia Golf Day in Los Angeles hosted by Ian Baker-Finch. Mathew is taking a break from the PGA Tour’s Bob Hope Classic to be a part of this event.
Promotion of Tasmania in the US began in early January, with locally-made honey, saffron, pepper, cheese, beer, and rain water on offer at gourmet food retailers Bristol Farms in Southern California and Citarella in New York City. This promotion concludes at the end of January.
Tasmanian fine food and drink is also on show at the San Diego Fancy Food Show.
G’Day USA: Australia Week 2008 officially started on 17 January and concludes on Australia Day (Saturday 26 January).
TIGER AIRWAYS ARRIVES IN HOBART
Visitors to Tasmania and local holidaymakers are now being spoilt for choice when it comes to discount flights with the arrival of Tiger Airways’ new service to Hobart on Tuesday.
The inaugural flight of the discount airline from Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport to Hobart International Airport marked yet another important milestone for aviation in this State and brings with it more choice and flexibility for flyers, and more opportunities to travel.
Hobart is now being serviced by four passenger airlines – Tiger Airways, Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Qantas.
The Minister for Tourism, Arts and the Environment, Paula Wriedt, said the long-term growth in visitors to Tasmania is largely dependent on air and sea carriers continuing to grow their services.
“In the same way that Tourism Tasmania works with all its air and sea carriers, this is just the start of what we hope will be a productive and mutually beneficial relationship with Tiger Airways,” Ms Wriedt said.
Tiger Airways’ Tasmanian flight arrived in Launceston from Melbourne on Thursday 29 November.
NEW BUSHWALKING GUIDE AND PLANNER LAUNCHED
Tasmania’s Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) has released a new brochure “Before you Walk” to help walkers keep themselves safe and look after the environment while walking and camping in Tasmania’s wilderness.
Launched on Tuesday by acting general manager of PWS, Stuart Lennox, the booklet aims to be Tasmania’s essential bushwalking guide and trip planner, assisting multi-day bushwalkers to be self-reliant and well-equipped in order to complete their walk safely.
Approximately 15,000 walkers each year undertake multi-day walks throughout Tasmania – including the Overland Track, the South Coast Walk, Port Davey and overnight walks at Freycinet – ranging from the relatively easy to the physically challenging.
The new guide outlines the basics of where to go, what to take, what situations walkers need to be prepared for and where to find more detailed information.
It also encourages walkers to look after the environment, incorporating the internationally accepted Leave No Trace principles of minimising impacts on the environment.
The guide is the result of a comprehensive review of safety information and that the key messages about bushwalking have been refined so they are clear and consistent.
“Before You Walk” is available from Service Tasmania in Hobart, can be found on the PWS website or obtained by phoning PWS on 1300 135 513.
BE ON ALERT FOR OVERPAYMENT SCAM: A MESSAGE FROM TASMANIA POLICE
Tasmania Police is advising that, in recent weeks, a number of Tasmanian hotels and accommodation providers have been targeted by a fraud syndicate seeking to use an overpayment scam to unlawfully obtain funds.
The businesses are being contacted by email and in some cases telephone. The emails are generally poorly worded, from a generic email address such as yahoo, hotmail, excite etc. Such email address can be easily obtained and are virtually untraceable.
In the scam, the businesses are requested to accept a large booking and a substantial deposit in advance. On most occasions a bank cheque is sent by mail for an amount larger than the price quoted. This cheque is a counterfeit cheque and later the funds will fail to clear.
The victim is in the meantime instructed undertake a number of tasks on behalf of the offenders. This includes transferring funds to third parties usually using Western Union money transfer facilities. As the scam unfolds the offenders will attempt to have the victim transfer the value of the counterfeit cheque before the victim receives notification that the cheque was not cleared. Businesses are urged to use safe business practices and not to use their own funds pending the clearance of any cheque in any circumstance.
In cases where possible fraudulent emails are received business operators are urged not to be tempted to respond to the email or call the phone numbers provided.
For further information contact Hobart CIB 6230 2603. The government website www.scamwatch.gov.au also has useful information regarding internet scams and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim.
TIGERTOUR UPDATE
Tourism Tasmania’s TigerTOUR database feeds information about tourism product directly into the consumer website discovertasmania.com.
Here’s a summary of recent additions to the TigerTOUR database as well as those operators that have been removed. Tourism Tasmania’s Product Consultants can assist you updating your business details, email: TigerTOUR@tourism.tas.gov.au or phone: (03) 6230 8229.
New tourism product added to TigerTOUR
Accommodation:
- Cherry Top Accommodation – Eagle Park (Lilydale)
- Sullivans Cove Apartments – 19 Hunter Waterfront Apartment (Hobart)
- Burilda Waters (Port Arthur)
- Drumreagh Bed & Breakfast Cabins (Deloraine)
- Bicheno Bella Vista (Bicheno)
- Tasmanian Short Stays – Blackmans Bay Beachfront Apartments (Blackmans Bay)
Attraction:
- Cotton Duck Gallery (Geeveston)
- Devonport Craft and Homewares Market (East Devonport)
Tours:
- Wineglass to Wine Glass (Coles Bay)
- Nature-Bound Australia (Launceston)
- Gorgeous Guided Walks (Launceston)
- Hollybank Treetops Adventure (Underwood)
Recently closed tourism product in TigerTOUR
- Saltwater River Convict Beach House
- Tassielink Coaches (Launceston)
- Tassielink Coaches (Hobart)
- Richmond Antiques (Accommodation)
- Thimble Cottage
- Ardara@Bicheno
- Forth Market