It was my pleasure today to officially launch Maria Island’s new ferry Osprey V that will allow even more visitors to enjoy one of the State’s best tourism attractions.
Maria Island is one of the jewels in Tasmania’s crown of stunning natural locations, and the new vessel is a great result that will secure its growing reputation as a must-see East Coast tourism destination.
Osprey V can take up to 152 passengers, which is over 60 per cent more than the current vessel, and boasts modern facilities including food, drink and a licensed bar.
We want to have 70 per cent of visitors staying overnight in our regional areas and increase visitor spend by 50 per cent by 2022, and the increased capacity and appeal of the new ship will be a fantastic additional incentive to visit Maria Island and help us to achieve these goals.
We have also committed $1.8 million towards the Maria Island Re-discovered Project, which will deliver an improved visitor experience, a wider range of quality tourism products, and better infrastructure on this important tourism asset.
Visitors will start to experience the benefits this summer, with an upgraded jetty to accommodate the Osprey V and improved baggage handling upon arrival.
Conservation works and improving the access to the World Heritage buildings at Darlington will also be underway, with more staff to engage with visitors on the ferry journey and provide an enjoyable visitor experience.
Approximately 23,000 visitors traveled to Maria Island in 2016-17, and I look forward to further tourism growth for the island with the new ferry now on the water.