Quality Tourism
Nov 6Most of you think tourism is great for Hobart.
You like what tourists add to our culture and you enjoy the money they bring into the state. Directly or indirectly, we all benefit from it. But again and again, we heard a niggling worry. Could more hotels, more cars, more people make the place we live…less?
As our tourism industry grows you want to be sure we have limits, or at the very least know what the limits might be. How much will we allow ourselves to change? How will we protect what we love?
Once we invite the world, and the world is willing to come, on discount airlines and cruise ships, it’s impossible to say “Wait. We’re not ready!”
In our interviews, you told us that you want tourism that makes our city, and our community, better. One of you expressed it perfectly: “It shouldn’t just be for tourists. Locals love MONA too.”
Most of you like the idea of Airbnb; the opportunity to share ‘your Hobart’ with visitors while paying off the mortgage. However, you hate that it’s driving renters out of the city, making the inner suburbs unaffordable (or simply unavailable).
You told us you want authenticity – you want the waterfront to stay as a working port, not to simply become a tourist attraction.
We heard about aloof shopkeepers in Europe, people who enjoy and respect tourists while staying true to their culture. You don’t want to compromise your lifestyle to give others the trip-of-a-lifetime.
You talked about creating a long-term tourism industry based on quality not quantity, on experiences you can only find here, on our culture and natural beauty, on inviting people to live for a short time like a local: eating, drinking, walking, dancing, and celebrating like a Hobartian.
Those of you lucky enough to experience a Pennicott Wilderness cruise didn’t just talk about the boat ride. You smiled about the Barbecue Shapes and Tim Tams offered to passengers, a truly ‘Hobart’ gesture, and are proud that a percentage of the profits are used to protect wildlife.
You certainly don’t want to be taken advantage of by people looking for a quick buck.
When the expectation and experience don’t match, you end up with a situation that disappoints both tourists and locals. Ideally, you want visitors to leave wanting to come back, or even wanting to make Hobart their home.
November 06, 2017 at 4:05 pm
AlastairI’ve been reading through all these posts. Can this be the direction the city and state are going? It’s like you’ve been listening in on conversations at parties!
November 06, 2017 at 10:11 pm
Michael Flanaganwe need experiences that locals and tourists can enjoy which take advantage of our cities assets. Hobart waterfront is very similar to Helsinki waterfront – only warmer. The view from the Hobart waterfront is also world class looking towards Kunanyi (Mount Wellington). A sea pool, like that in Helsinki with heated pool, saunas (or japanese style onsen), sun deck, gym, performance space and restaurants could enliven our waterfront and become a tourist attraction . Check it out at https://www.allasseapool.com/
November 08, 2017 at 1:13 pm
Tony‘Only in Hobart’ is the sharing of what we are and what we produce. A very simple experience is to ask the waiter to choose which local wine you should drink, and then ask him/her ‘Why?’
November 22, 2017 at 4:18 pm
CarrieBuses, trains&ferries! Tourists need them just as much as locals! I used to work in tourism&was asked many times why Hobart didn’t have a ferry service. We actually used to recommend tourists take the MONA ferry even if they weren’t going to MONA, because they told us they wanted to get out on the water! The also want buses to tourist attractions&national parks, but they rarely exist. They have to hire cars, and then some nutjob builds an enormous car park destroying the view from the Neck lookout on Bruny Island…so they can accommodate all the hire cars coming to see the view from the lookout!