New national figures show that Tasmania leads the nation in international visitor growth.
The Government has worked hard to raise Tasmania’s profile internationally and that work is paying off.
The figures, released by Tourism Research Australia, show that in the 12 months to September 2016, international visitors to Tasmania jumped a staggering 15 per cent, which is the highest rate of growth in the nation. All up 228,500 international visitors came to Tasmania, up from 199,100 for the 12 months to September 2015.
And with more international visitors coming to Tasmania than ever before, expenditure is up by 15 per cent to $363 million and visitor nights are up to $3.38 million.
Our strong international growth means that Tasmania is increasingly being viewed as an investment destination of choice. The hotels being built in Hobart and Launceston are a sign of confidence in Tasmania, our economy and our booming tourism and hospitality industries.
The boom in visitor numbers is being driven by a huge jump of 33 per cent in visitors from the USA, an increase in visitors from India of seven per cent and an increase in visitors from Asia of 13.4 per cent.
This is especially good news for regional Tasmania, where tourism and hospitality are vital to the local economy. By increasing the range of visitor attractions, we hope to encourage more visitors into regional areas, which is why we’re investing in the Three Capes Track and developing better infrastructure at Cradle Mountain. That’s why we’re also working with the Federal Government to repair tourism infrastructure damaged by this year’s floods and that’s why we will continue to work with the industry to develop new and innovative visitor experiences in and around our national parks and world heritage areas.
We’re also working with major international airlines like China Eastern and Qantas to ensure that more people around the world are just a click away from booking their ticket to Tasmania. We are working with other domestic airlines to ensure there are more flights coming to Tasmania to keep up with demand.
These results are a testament to the hard work and dedication of Tasmania’s tourism and hospitality industries and the entire State is grateful for the fantastic contribution that they are making.
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