TTF Business Count and Employment Atlas snapshot: Bass

Launceston is Tasmania’s second city but possibly the first choice for those with a discerning taste for food and wine-based travel – and so the electorate of Bass has to be a focus for the next Tasmanian government when formulating their tourism strategy.

Taking in Scottsdale, Lilydale, St Helens and George Town plus Flinders Island, Bass offers visitors a smorgasbord of natural delights and authentic rural experiences.

Launceston is a treasure-trove of Georgian architecture and is located at the head of the picturesque Tamar Valley, which boasts magnificent natural attractions including the spectacular Cataract Gorge Reserve.

It is also the gateway to Australia’s most-awarded wine trail and the magnificent winding roads that form the bulk of the world-famous Targa Tasmania course.

Wherever they go, tourists will be served by a hospitality industry that is vital to the region’s economy.

The Tourism & Transport Forum Business Count and Employment Atlas finds that the sector employs 7.9 per cent of the electorate – far above the national average of 4.8 per cent – and more than one in five businesses are in the tourism industry.

For more information on the impact of tourism on Bass and the rest of Tasmania, click here – and remember the importance of tourism to the state’s future when casting your vote on Saturday.