Tasmania’s world class tourism operators and attractions alongside our superb natural and built environment have catapulted the state onto the world stage.
Not only is the world taking notice of our beautiful island State, it is clambering to visit. And our tourism industry has embraced the opportunity and is offering a myriad of world class visitor experiences.
Tonight’s Tasmanian Tourism Awards acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the state’s tourism industry.
I congratulate all the winners who have been recognised for their ongoing efforts to develop and deliver exciting tourism products and exceptional visitor experiences. The winners and finalists have all contributed to giving people a reason to visit Tasmania and a reason to return for more. The winners are:
* Major Tourist Attractions - Port Arthur Historic Site
* Tourist Attractions - Bruny Island Cruise
* Major Festivals and Events - MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2015
* Festivals and Events - The Falls Music & Arts Festival, Marion Bay
* Ecotourism - The Tasmanian Walking Company
* Cultural Tourism - Port Arthur Historic Site
* Specialised Tourism Services - Cruisin’ Motorhomes
* Visitor Information Services - Tasmanian Travel & Information Centre
* Business Event Venue - The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel
* Major Tour and Transport Operators - Par Avion Wilderness Tours
* Tour and Transport Operators - The Bruny Island Long Weekend
* Adventure Tourism - The Tasmanian Walking Company
* Destination Marketing - #RideNorthTas
* Tourism Restaurants and Catering Services - Josef Chromy Wines
* Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries - Josef Chromy Wines
* Hosted Accommodation - Curringa Farm Tours and Accommodation
* Unique Accommodation - Avalon City Retreat
* Self-Contained Accommodation - Avalon Coastal Retreat
* Standard Accommodation - Sandpiper Ocean Cottages
* Deluxe Accommodation - The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel
* Luxury Accommodation - Saffire Freycinet
* Gustav Award for New Tourism Business - Pumphouse Point
* Excellence in Food Tourism - Farm Gate Market
* Qantas Award for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism - The Tasmanian Walking Company
* China Market Export Development Award (Tas only) - Curringa Farm Tours and Accommodation
* People’s Choice Award - Louisa’s Walk
* The Tourism Minister’s Young Achiever Award - Shannon Wells, Managing Director of Airlines of Tasmania
* Tasmanian Tourism Champion - Julian & Tracy Jacobs
* SKAL International Hobart, 2015 Tourism Student of the Year – Diana Ward
The Tasmanian Government has a plan to attract 1.5 million visitors a year to the state by 2020. It is a challenging target that requires a collective approach.
The new T21 Tasmanian Visitor Economy Strategy 2015-2020, which was launched earlier this week, provides a new framework to guide the growth and development of Tasmania’s visitor economy.