Big rise in Hobart tourists
06 August 2015 by News DeskMore hotels are needed in Hobart as result of a big rise in the number of tourists visiting the city.
Room occupancy rates are predicted to reach 80% in the next two years, prompting calls for more hotels to be build in Hobart and across Tasmania. There are also calls for more flights into the city to cope with an expected rise in tourist numbers over the next six months.
The Tasmanian government is spending $3.5 million on marketing to attract more visitors to Hobart and has laid out a plan to manage the increase in tourist numbers. Speaking at a dedicated tourist summit this week, Tourism Tasmania CEO John Fitzgerald told delegates: “This summer, we will be under more pressure than any other in our recent past. In the short term, we’re going to be pretty full in and around Hobart, but that’s a nice problem to have.”
The Tasmanian government is also keen to attract more workers and migrants to Hobart, to offset the States’ slow population growth compared to others States.