Tasmanian tourism soaring sky high

Tourism in Tasmania will soar to new heights following Qantas announcing additional flights to and from Hobart and a doubling of its Hobart workforce.

The additional 11 Qantas return flights per week announced today will give 60,000 more visitors the opportunity to see our island state every year.

The new schedule is also great news. Those travelling from abroad, from important growing markets like China and the United States, will have less time to kill waiting for connecting flights in Melbourne and Sydney. Corporate travellers will have more early morning options to allow for a full day of business between the three cities; Hobart, Sydney and Melbourne.

Importantly, this announcement will create jobs, with Qantas almost doubling its workforce at its Hobart base. This means 40 new jobs, with an additional 15 pilots and 25 cabin crew required to operate the additional flights.

This is an enormous vote of confidence in Tasmania’s strengthening economy and thriving tourism industry, which has again notched up a record year according to the latest Tasmanian Visitors Survey released today.

As an island state, Tasmania depends on reliable and regular access to support the growth of our tourism industry. Qantas has played an instrumental role in this, and today’s announcement shows its commitment to continuing this for years to come.

I look forward to continuing to work with our key partners to give even more travellers a chance to experience our state, and reach our target of attracting 1.5 million visitors to our state each year by 2020.
Will Hodgman, Premier Minister for Tourism, Hospitality and Events