Tourism in Tasmania

The latest Tasmanian Visitor Survey figures (June 2018) show a record high 1.3 million visitors to Tasmania in the previous 12 months, a 2 per cent increase on the previous year. Over the same period, Tasmania also led the nation with a 20 per cent increase in international visitors, with more people travelling to the State’s regional areas.

The Tasmanian Government is aiming to increase visitor numbers to 1.5 million annually, with a visitor expenditure of $2.5 billion by 2020. Meeting this target will see over 200 000 additional visitors to the State over the next two years. Destination Action Plans have been developed to further boost the quality of visitor experiences in key destinations, and the Government has worked with industry leaders on a Tasmanian Tourism and Hospitality Workforce Development Plan to support the industry to deliver on its growth potential.

A key driver of this growth is investment in new visitor attractions as smart tourism operators take advantage of Tasmania’s increasing global reputation as a travel destination.

World class boutique golf courses, the award winning Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), intriguing festivals such as Dark Mofo and the Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival, as well as an outstanding reputation for premium wines and food, are drawing the attention of new travellers every day.

For lovers of the outdoors and the more adventurous visitors, there are mountain bike trails, beautiful beaches, pristine waterways and well-maintained walks through untouched World Heritage wilderness.

This success is seeing stunning new ventures, developments and expanded tourism and hospitality operations introduced across the State, ranging from multi-million dollar infrastructure investments to micro-businesses run from private homes.

In 2017 the second stage of the Rosevears Hotel development in the state’s north opened, providing boutique accommodation units overlooking the Tamar River, with the capacity to sleep more than 60 people. The upgraded property includes a new glasshouse dining area, beer garden, corporate boardroom and entertainment space with balcony and a hidden, temperature controlled wine cellar.

And in the south of the state, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt’s boutique brand, has committed to building a $40 million hotel in Hobart’s CBD, its first in Australia. On completion the 221 room hotel will create up to 60 ongoing employment positions, provide up to 94 000 room nights annually and inject an additional $18 million worth of visitor spending into Tasmania.

This investment and increase in visitor spending has brought many opportunities with it. Tasmania is a great place for those with tourism and hospitality skills or businesspeople looking to establish a new venture. The hospitality sector is currently on the lookout for chefs in particular, and there is strong support for sensitive development in Tasmania’s national parks.

Find the links to job opportunities and the information you need to get started:

• Find out more about TasTAFE Drysdale and the Great Chefs Series
• Visit the Tasmanian Hospitality Association’s website and Facebook page
• Search for chef opportunities in Tasmania:
  • Try these job seeker sites: Seek; All-the-jobs.com; CareerOne, Indeed; Jobsearch; Jora Australia
  • By region – Tasmania has three regions with their own daily newspapers, which are a great place to start. See The Mercury for southern Tasmania, The Examiner for northern Tasmania; and The Advocate for north west Tasmania.
  • Visit jobactive or your favourite recruitment firm.
  • Coming from overseas? Visit Migration Tasmania to see how we can help you make the move.