Wilderness Guides Association Formed

Tasmanian Wilderness Guides Association –Upcoming Public Launch

The recently formed Tasmanian Wilderness Guides Association (TWGA) is having a celebratory public launch on 26 March at the Longhouse Creative Hub from 5.30pm-8.30pm, at 6 Evans St, Hobart.

The TWGA consists of a passionate group of professional outdoor guides who are the face of Tasmania’s tourism industry and its wild places – outdoor reserves, world heritage areas, national parks, waterways, rivers, mountains and beaches. The TWGA has come into existence to provide a combined voice for Tasmania’s outdoor guiding community – to have a say in shaping a world class, unique and sustainable tourism industry in Tasmania – one which we can be proud of for generations to come.

Guides play a crucial role in Tasmania’s tourism industry, as they are the ones who interact face to face with the people whom ecotourism is created for, our visitors; and have an intricate knowledge of Tasmania’s natural and cultural heritage and can bring a unique perspective to sustainable ecotourism that will benefit businesses and Tasmania going forward.

Since the TWGA officially incorporated in December 2019, it has gained over fifty currently active wilderness guides as members. This represents a considerable portion of Tasmania’s outdoor guiding community with an expectation that the TWGA’s membership base will to continue to grow over the coming years to eventually include most wilderness guides in Tasmania who have a deep care for their country and their profession.

The public launch is going to be a celebration of the Tasmanian Wilderness Guide Association’s official emergence into the landscape and the coming together of tourism operators, politicians, outdoor guides and all those with a working relationship to Tasmania’s wild places.

It will be an evening of distinguished speakers, including acclaimed author Richard Flanagan, poet Dr Pete Hay and Ruth Langford, Tasmanian Aboriginal song woman. Furthermore, there will be opportunities for attendees of the public launch to network and connect with Tasmanian guides and tourism operators.

“We believe that Tasmania can be a world leader in demonstrating sustainable wilderness-based tourism, including the prioritisation of wilderness values as well as connecting people to nature and educating for future generations.” – Adrien Butler, President, TWGA.

For any enquires please contact TWGA via email: info@tasmanianguides.org

*Update from the Tasmanian Wilderness Guides Association:

In light of the current COVID-19 outbreak, our executive team has arrived at the difficult decision to cancel the Tasmanian Wilderness Guides Public Launch on 26 March. Given the current control measures that are being put in place, we felt that the only responsible course of action was to postpone the event until further notice in order to help contain the spread of this virus. *