A new $5 million grant program aimed at attracting and supporting more local events and festivals across the state has been unveiled.
The new Tasmanian Festival and Event Support Fund will provide funding to bolster the state’s economy during the off-season, with a particular focus on regional communities.
One-off grants ranging from $10,000 to $450,000 will be available for events held between March and November in 2025 and 2026.
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania CEO Amy Hills said it is important to look ahead as the state heads into summer, “one of the busiest times on the tourism calendar”.
“We know that events are a significant demand generator,” she said.
“Events are a really important lever that we can pull when we need to try and get increased visitation around our state.”
The Tasmanian Hospitality Association’s Jordan Lewtas would like new events in regional areas that can drive demand to hotels, restaurants, pubs and cafes.
He said their members have historically done “really well” with events that feature local Tasmanian produce.
“We can see from our occupancy data … the spike that we get when there’s a major event in Hobart and Launceston,” he said.
“So if we can disperse that out into the regions, like the north-west coast in particular … then we hope that will lead to an influx in occupancy.”
