Tasmania needs to think of new ways to attract visitors to the state in the wake of decisions to scale down major winter festivals such as Dark Mofo, Labor leader Dean Winter has said.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The organisers of the key winter event have revealed that this year's Dark Mofo will be a slimmed-down version.
They claimed that the iconic winter festival has been loss-making for the past nine years, prompting concern that it won't make a return after the cut-down event this June.
The absence of a full Dark Mofo this year has tourism operators concerned that a lack of events drawing in visitors during the cool months will hit business, Mr Winter said.
"Over the next couple of months, we are likely to see another fairly slow winter period for Tasmanian tourism, and I think it's really important that we have a clear plan for the regions," Mr Winter said.
"We need to make sure we are investing in new attractions and also reinvigorating existing attractions."
Speaking at the Tahune Airwalk in the Huon, Mr Winter criticised the government for the long delay in approval for Transformer - the project to build an artwork and visitor centre in the Ida Bay State Reserve.
The project is being developed by Darklab, a company of David Walsh, the founder of Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art.
"It's been far too slow to actually happen," Mr Winter said.
"This community was promised the Transformer project, and five years later, we've only just got the approval through, we need to get on with it."
Parks and Environment Minister Nick Duigan said on Monday environmental approvals for the development of Transformer have now been completed.
"It will generate sustainable growth to our visitor economy and support jobs, particularly in the Huon Valley region," Mr Duigan said.
"Transformer will be a unique project, one that will connect visitors with the environment through art."
Mr Winter said projects like Transformer were needed to reinvigorate the state after the closure of so many other tourist drawcards.
"We've seen the loss of the Falls Festival as well, which was an iconic Tasmanian festival for well over a decade.
"The loss of that, Dark Mofo, the Huon Valley Winterfest, these events have been driving Tasmanian tourism for a long time.
"I think it's important that we're invigorating what we've got, and making sure that we are going ahead with new ideas, new ventures that can drive tourism in the future, especially in the Winter."
