This follows a recent announcement that Visit Northern Tasmania will undertake a demand and feasibility study to understand how to transform the region’s largest city, Launceston, into a business events hub.
Visit Northern Tasmania and Events Tasmania are developing the Northern Culture and Festivals Infrastructure Plan to help boost Tasmania’s economy. Visit Northern Tasmania will implement the plan once it is finalised.
“Having a long-term plan in place to support our culture and festivals infrastructure is critical, and we are pleased to see the wheels in motion,” said Tasmania’s minister for sport and events, Nic Street.
“Festivals and events play a significant role in growing Tasmania’s visitor economy, and it is key that we explore the needs of the sector so that we can forecast opportunities for growth, as well as support events that will attract visitors to our state.
“That is why we made the development of this plan a commitment in the first 100 days [of the new term of government], so the north of the state can continue to benefit from a booming events sector.”
The plan is expected to be complete within a year and will be formulated through collaboration.
“A key part of developing the plan will be bringing together a steering committee from across the events, tourism, hospitality and infrastructure sectors, as well as local councils,” said Nick Duigan, the elected member for Windermere in Northern Tasmania.
“We expect this work to include an audit of the current event and festival venues in the north and north-west and consider opportunities to encourage more events.
“Importantly, it will analyse proposed developments and their cultural, social and economic impacts … within, and for, the regions.
“If we want to attract and retain vibrant and healthy festivals and events in the north, and across the state more broadly, we need to make sure the infrastructure is there, and that’s what we are examining.”
