Tasmania has been enjoying a near record influx of grey nomads and other tourists … but there is growing concern that the infrastructure – particularly within the national parks – is simply not up to scratch.
Cradle Mountain is expecting 250,000 tourists this year, and some of their basic expectations are not being met.
“I think tourists are concerned about the fact that they’re queuing for buses, they’re queuing for coffee,” Cradle Coast Authority regional tourism manager, Ian Waller, told the ABC. “We run the risk that they go home and say ‘that was pretty disappointing’, and that’s going to damage industry and we can’t afford to do that.”
The Cradle Mountain Master Plan was launched last year, which included proposed upgrades to facilities and a cable car to take visitors from the village to Dove Lake. The State Government committed $15 million to the plan, while the Federal Government committed $1 million.
The Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service says visitors to Cradle Mountain have increased 20% in the past six months compared to the same period the year before, and that the number of shuttle buses have been increased from 15 to 22 per day.
“We’re moving people in and out of the park a lot quicker, and we’ve also invested heavily in upgrading our visitor infrastructure such as walking tracks, heritage buildings and viewing platforms,” Cradle Mountain ranger in charge, Kate Burton, told the ABC. “Visitor numbers will continue to increase in the next couple of years, so we do need to make sure that our infrastructure continues to be developed and upgraded to meet that increasing demand.”
Tasmania is great to visit but you can forget about infrastructure anywhere in the State, not just National Parks. The Greenies have stifled poor old Tassie for a long time, hence the reason for record house & business “for sale” signs.
I think Tasmania is unspoiled and that is why people visit.
There would be no giant Huon Pines left if it was for the Green Carers!
Unemployment is bad but so is it everywhere else in Australia.
I don’t play ‘Tourist’ I make my own coffee and will never line up to go anywhere.