TTF key ask: increase investment in nature-based tourism infrastructure

The Tourism & Transport Forum is calling upon the next Tasmanian Government to increase investment for maintenance and infrastructure renewal in parks and reserves, while also supporting nature-based tourism by progressing the Cradle Mountain Master Plan and continuing the development of the Three Capes Track.

The latest TTF research finds that the percentage of tourism-related jobs in Tasmania (7.2 per cent) is 50 per cent higher than the national average (4.8 per cent) and the highest of any Australian state.

The number of jobs created per 1000 visits (4.4) is the second highest after the Northern Territory and the number of sector employees per $1 million spent by visitors is by far the highest nationwide (10.2).

The TTF report, Unlocking Our Great Outdoors, reveals the critical importance of nature-based tourism to Tasmania’s future.

A remarkable 42 per cent of the state’s surface area is protected by either National Park or UNESCO regulations and has generate more than $1.8 billion in Gross Regional Product (GRP).

Tasmania hosted 8.4 million visitors to its national landscape areas in 2016 – up from 6.6 million in 2005 – drawing $3 billion in visitor spending and funding a total of 21,683 jobs.

All of these figures are set to grow in the years to come, but increased investment in nature-based tourism infrastructure is vital to ensure that the Apple Isle reaches its full potential in the future.