Launceston summer events season pays dividends

Published on 09 March 2023

Northern Tasmania has been a hive of activity in the first two months of 2023, with the Tasmanian Hospitality Association’s Hotel Occupancy Report for January showing 88.45 per cent of rooms in the region were booked.

Launceston Mayor Danny Gibson said Northern Tasmania's visitor economy was booming.

"Launceston has been absolutely buzzing in the first few months of 2023," Mayor Gibson said.

"It's been an incredibly positive start to the year, with amazing cultural and sporting events, wonderful tourism attractions and accommodation offerings, along with food, wine, and everything our region has to offer.

"We've had popular events like Mona Foma, Festivale, and the Launceston Cup, as well as A League soccer, AFL, and Big Bash cricket.

"The City of Launceston is a significant supporter of both small and large-scale events in our region, annually investing more than $600,000 across more than 60 separate events in our municipality.

"In addition to that, the Council also threw its support behind a regional push for Launceston to be designated a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.

"These funding streams add to the social, cultural and economic activity of Launceston, drawing visitors in from across our State and across the globe.

"It's wonderful to see so many visitors prioritising Northern Tasmania as their destination of choice in 2023."