Tasmania Invests in Events
The Tasmanian government is continuing to support moves to attract convention and conference business to Tasmania through funding of more than $700,000 to Business Events Tasmania this financial year.
The minister for tourism, Scott Bacon, said conventions and conferences had the potential to offer significant economic benefits for the state’s tourism and hospitality industries. “Last financial year, Business Events Tasmania received funding of $710,000 through Tourism Tasmania and was able to secure around 98 business events around the state,” he said.
“That amounts to an injection of around $32 million into the economy, which increases to more than $45 million once pre and post touring is taken into account. And, as we’ve seen through the March 2011Tasmanian Visitor Survey, there’s been a 6% increase in business events compared with the same period last year. No matter how you look at it, that’s an excellent return on the government’s investment.”
Mr Bacon said industry also contributed $500,000 to Business Events Tasmania last year.
He said this financial year, the government was continuing its support for Business Events Tasmania, with core funding of $540,000 for bid development and convention sales and marketing activities, with a further $170,000 for the Meet in Tasmania Incentive Scheme.
“The Meet in Tasmania Incentive Scheme is a special incentive program to attract business events and delegates to our state during winter, and boost what is the traditionally quieter period for our tourism and hospitality operators,” Mr Bacon said.
Scott Bacon
But struggling tourism operators from Tasmania’s north-west and west coast have been warned that the industry’s tough times are set to continue. More than 120 operators and industry representatives met at a forum in Burnie last week, looking at ways to attract more visitors to the struggling region.
The area has been hardest hit by the tourist downturn, with only 51% of hotel rooms occupied in the past 12 months, compared with 80% in the south.
Tourism Tasmania’s Tony Mayell says the slump looks set to continue. “To be honest, it’s not going to get easier for some time yet,” he said.
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