Fires, water woes hit Tassie tourism
In an article by Linda Smith from The Mercury, Tasmanian tourism operators in areas affected by water contamination and bushfires are feeling the pinch as many travellers cancel their holiday bookings.Operators in key tourism areas including St Helens, Scamander, Bicheno, Coles Bay and Strahan have been left out of pocket, and the Tourism Industry Council fears this will not only have a significant impact on summer visitor numbers this year, but could continue well into the future.
Tourism Council CEO Daniel Leesong said he had been contacted by concerned regional tourist operators, who said East Coast and Strahan bushfires had caused visitors – particularly Tasmanian travellers – to cancel their holidays.
Mr Leesong said the recent focus on water problems in some country towns had also made travellers rethink their plans.
“I have also heard from people who normally take holidays on the East Coast but have decided to give it a miss this year,” he said.
“A few operators have contacted me who have had multiple cancellations, and it’s making them very nervous. It’s not to the point of being absolutely critical, but it’s important we heed their calls.”
He said it was important this trend of shying away from key tourist areas was quickly reversed.
“There have been similar situations in Victoria and other parts of Australia where the bushfire aftermath has had a really big impact on tourism operators and local towns,” he said.
“If we don’t nip it in the bud quickly, and get out the message that these towns are operating as usual, it could have a lasting impact for a number of years.”
He said travellers often didn’t know individual towns, so they discriminated against whole areas, which meant the whole east and west coasts could be at risk of a downturn.
He said prompt action by the Government – to ensure adequate water and other essential infrastructure – could help. “Quick action is needed to get water to those towns that are having problems,” he said.
“Local economies depend on tourism and it is important that people are not deterred from spending holidays around the state at this time of the year.”
Calls to several popular East Coast tourism operators revealed many had been faced with cancellations.
While they preferred to stay anonymous, the operators said they had been inundated with calls from travellers seeking reassurance that it was still safe to visit the area.
Break O’Day Mayor Robert Legge said tourism had dropped by 10 per cent in the Scamander/St Helens area since the bushfires.
“The fires have kept a few people away, especially bushwalkers,” he said.
“I don’t want to be a pessimist and say we’re suffering like hell because of the fires, but tourism is always a worry as it’s the main income earner in places like St Helens and if there’s a drop, they feel it.”
West Coast Mayor Darryl Gerrity said fires at Strahan had caused some holiday disruptions, particularly for campers and scenic flights.
“As far as I know, nobody’s losing sleep over it – but it’s probably a lot worse for people on the East Coast,” he said.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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