Tasmania has come in for a hard time recently. Even before recent devastating bushfires hit the tourism sector, there were clear signs that visitor numbers were declining.
The mayor of Kentish, which incorporates the north-western town of Sheffield, had already expressed concern about what he saw as the lack of caravans and campervans. Don Thwaites said both his own observations and anecdotal evidence suggested there were significantly less tourists staying in council-owned sites.
That would be no surprise to the many grey nomads who were angered by last year’s Tasmanian government review of camping fees at council-run sites. The Statewide Directions Paper ruled that while local councils could continue to provide affordable overnight camping, they had an obligation allow for costs such as sewage, maintenance, rubbish collection, signage, power and labour when setting camping fees.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the argument – and Tourism Minister Scott Bacon says the government has an obligation to find a balance between commercial caravan parks and council-run camping sites – many long-term grey nomads warned that, without widespread free and cut-price camping the Apple Isle would be just too expensive to keep on the Big Lap itinerary.
The recent bushfires have only compounded the problems facing Tassie’s tourism authorities. There have been statements urging visitors to keep coming and reminders that Tassie is still ‘open for business’. And focus has also inevitably fallen on that other major bone of contention … the cost of taking a rig across the Bass Strait.
Some are saying that the state’s bushfire recovery taskforce should look at further subsidising ferry fares as a way of luring more nomads to Tasmania … and reigniting the tourism sector.
“A one-off subsidy on transport such as TT Line (operator of the Spirit of Tasmania ferries) should be considered,” said Tasmanian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson.
Such a move, if it were to happen, would certainly be popular with both tourists and Tasmanian business owners.
Monica Houghan, who owns the Mole Creek camping ground near Deloraine, describes the peak season ferry costs as `prohibitive’.
“I just don’t understand why the Spirit fares are one price over summer but are almost half that amount in winter,” she told media outlets. “I’m sure Tassie would absolutely reap the benefits if the Spirit abided by lower fares all year round.’’
