Image credit: Simon Sturzaker Photography

Words from our CEO

I might say it in the media a lot, but events in Northern Tasmania are bucking the national trend! As we go from strength to strength, and see events expanding (BeerFest with an extra day this December) or returning (Island Escape are planning to come back in 2027), the economic returns they bring to our economy cannot be underestimated. Take the recent National Transplant Games, where approx. 700 attendees stayed for an average of 12 nights thereby contributing more than $3M into the economy. Not to mention the important awareness raising and celebratory nature of such an event. We saw the release of the lineup for Festivale in 2027 announced recently and then look how quickly tickets sold!

We welcome back the seasonal direct flights between Launceston and Adelaide this month, but are very disappointed not to have the Perth route this year. We will continue advocating for the return of this route, as it had great passenger load factor last season. It has also been pleasing to see an increase in load factor on the direct Canberra service so please consider Canberra markets in your promotional activities.

Important updates to credit card surcharges came into effect on 1 October 2026 so we refer all businesses to this information on the Business Tasmania website. There’s also good information there about making choices around cash and your pricing structure.

Good luck to the northern finalists at the Tasmanian Tourism Awards on 6 November in Hobart!

Tracey Mallett

CEO | Visit Northern Tasmania | tracey@visitnorthtas.org.au

Image Credit: Nick Hanson

Celebrating Industry

Image credit: Richard Jupe | Hospitality Tasmania Awards for Excellence 2026

Hospitality Tasmania Awards for Excellence 2026

It was exciting to see our region recognised across a range of categories at the Hospitality Tasmania Awards. Congratulations to all winners and finalists; Tasmania’s commitment to excellent hospitality presented some stiff competition!

Northern Tasmania’s Gold Winners

Cataract on Paterson: Outstanding Achievement in Training and Workforce Development, Outstanding Achievement in Marketing

The Plough Inn: Hotel/Pub of the Year – Metro

Country Club – The Range: Best Hospitality and/or Tourism Experience

Global Recognition for Australian Tourism

Tasmania’s global reputation as a must-visit destination continues to soar, with the island ranked the third most-loved island destination in Australasia and the South Pacific in the 2026 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards and recognised as the highest-ranked Australian island. Voted by more than 750,000 travellers, the result is a powerful endorsement of Tasmania’s world-class visitor experiences.

The accolades don’t stop there. Australia has also been named Destination of the Year at the 2026 TTG Travel Awards in Asia, highlighting the nation’s leadership in tourism development and promotion. 

Building on this momentum, Tasmania has now been shortlisted for Most Desirable Island Worldwide in the 2026 Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards.

Love Tasmania? Help us share it with the world. Cast your vote before 27 October and help keep Tasmania in the international spotlight

In the theme of local excellence, northern Tasmania was recently featured on Matt Preston’s Plating Locally series on SBS Food. The episode showcased the Tamar Valley’s food and wine offering, highlighting the producers, experiences and quality produce that continue to strengthen the region’s visitor appeal.

Featured businesses included Hazelbrae Hazelnuts, Fork It Farm and Josef Chromy Wines, providing a snapshot of the innovation and passion driving northern Tasmania’s food tourism sector.

Industry Events, Workshops & Resources

Keep up to date with industry and market insights, connect with local businesses, and stay across visitor trends.

Tourism Australia's Industry Webinar series returns this Friday 16 October. Managing Director, Robin Mack will unpack the insights and trends we are seeing from Tourism Australia’s key markets as well as an update on marketing activity. Also joining the webinar will be Craig Beutel, First Assistant Director-General Cyber Threat Intelligence, Australian Signals Directorate, to talk about how small and medium enterprises can protect their businesses from cyber security threats and incidents. 

Bushfire Safety for Workers

As we approach another bushfire season, ensuring workers can recognise bushfire risks and make informed decisions during rapidly changing conditions is becoming increasingly important.

The Bushfire Safety for Workers eLearning Module is a free online training resource designed for people who work in, travel through, or manage teams operating in bushfire-prone areas. 

This resource takes approximately 45-60 minutes to complete and may be particularly valuable for organisations with staff working in regional, rural and remote locations, including field crews, maintenance teams, community service workers, utility providers, transport operators, forestry personnel and contractors.

Quarterly Tourism Sentiment Survey - Have Your Say!

How is your tourism business tracking, and what are your expectations for the months ahead?

TICT is inviting tourism businesses and organisations across Tasmania to share their insights through our latest Quarterly Tourism Sentiment Survey.

Whether business is booming or you're navigating a challenging period, we want to hear from you.

The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, and all responses are confidential.

BNAA Launceston – Protecting Your Intellectual Property | Wed 14 Oct

Your ideas, processes, content, brand and business knowledge may be some of your most valuable assets—but how well are you actually protecting them?

With AI, digital platforms and instant access to information making it easier than ever for content and ideas to be copied, shared or misused, protecting your intellectual property has never been more important.

Discover what business owners should be thinking about now to better protect what they’ve worked hard to create—don’t wait until something is copied or stolen to find out what you should have done to protect it.

Image credit: Studio Hubert

Industry Grants and Support

Visit Northern Tasmania's Industry Hub is a great resource when searching for grants or funding, but it is always helpful to have access to additional tools when searching for the right support for your business. Business Tasmania has come to the rescue with the Grant and Funding Finder – making it easier than ever to discover funding opportunities.

Discover resources, support and grant opportunities currently available for industry at the link below.

An exciting recent addition

Tasmanian Active Infrastructure Grants Program

Does your club need to upgrade or improve its facilities? There is $5 million in funding available through the Tasmanian Government’s Active Infrastructure Grants Program. The program supports sport and active recreation organisations to build new or upgrade existing infrastructure and help create better places for Tasmanians to get active.

Applications are open now, and close Monday 2 November 2026 at 2:00pm. 

What's On - Major & New Events 

Image credit: Simon Sturzaker Photography

Australian Transplant Games 

For the first time in its 40-year history, the Australian Transplant Games were hosted in Tasmania, with Launceston proudly welcoming athletes, supporters and volunteers from across Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Nauru.

Bringing the Games to our region was six years in the making, following the cancellation of the 2020 event, which was set to be hosted in Launceston. The successful delivery of this year's Games was a significant milestone and a testament to the dedication of organisers, volunteers and the local community.

Across a week of competition and celebration, the event showcased the impact of organ and tissue donation, while creating opportunities for connection, community pride and economic benefit throughout the region.

ATEC’s Meeting Place 2026 Conference | 26-28 Oct 2026

Conference and networking tickets for Meeting Place 2026 (MP26) are now available, providing another way to be part of ATEC’s flagship annual trade event in Hobart/Nipaluna this October. 

Join 450+ delegates already registered and take part in the MP26 conference program, supplier sessions, Welcome Function, Happy Hour, Gala Celebration Dinner and Tourism Export Awards. 

Tasmanian Tourism Awards Gala | Fri 6 Nov 2026

The TICT has announced the 2026 finalists for the Tasmanian Tourism Awards, and it was fantastic to see our region so well-represented.

Each finalist has been recognised as reaching the highest national industry benchmark for excellence, innovation and sustainability in tourism, demonstrating the quality and diversity of Tasmania’s visitor economy.

We look forward to celebrating the exceptional achievements of all finalists and winners in less than a months’ time – have you got your tickets yet?

Included in the festivities of the Gala evening is the People’s Choice Award winner. This gives Tasmanians and visitors the chance to recognise their favourite tourism experiences and businesses from across the state, with results determined by consumer choice – combining online review scores and a public vote.

Voting closes at 9pm on Wednesday 21 October.

Image Credit: Nick Hanson

From festivals and food events to sporting spectacles and community celebrations, Northern Tasmania’s spring and summer calendar is bursting with things to see and do—Tamar Valley Writers Festival, DerbyFest, and Tasmanian Craft Fair just this month, to name a few!

Stay ahead of the crowd and never miss a thing with VNT’s What's On page.

Been forwarded this email? Sign up here to receive monthly tourism industry updates, grant opportunities, training, events, and more, delivered straight to your inbox.