Come and experience the newest addition to the MACq01 suite: The Promenade Room. This smart new events space is a wonderful, welcome addition to the waterfront precinct. Master Storyteller Aaron Cuneo has some powerful stories to share about the history of the two Macquarie Piers, so join us for an evening of networking and historical enrichment, all delivered with impeccable MACq01 style and aplomb.
Nibbles will be provided and there will be a cash/card bar for drinks purchases.
Please also note that there are regularly photographers at our events, taking photos for use on digital platforms. If you do not want to be photographed, please let us know when you RSVP, or on arrival at the event.
Please also let us know if you have any specific access requirements.
DST on Tour
Our regional tour continues! We are thoroughly enjoying the chance to connect, catch up and discuss ideas, opportunities and concerns.
We're off to Eaglehawk Neck tomorrow, 4 August (registrations are closed but if you'd like to come, email us at dstadmin@southerntasmania.com.au). Then it's Killara Distillery in Richmond on 18 August, followed by Rathmore near Hamilton on 3 September.
It helps to let us know if you can make it, so please register via the buttons below.
Some will remember this program from our post-Covid era, when we all had a little more time and capacity to spend a day on a field trip, visiting our regional tourism peers to get better acquainted with each other's offerings and updates. It was a powerful exercise in creating connections, supporting referrals and benchmarking businesses, so with those objectives in mind we have created an online version of that program.
Over the coming weeks, we will host a series of one-hour online Know Your Neighbour sessions where you will hear news from up to four tourism operators with new businesses, projects or redevelopments. All tourism stakeholders are welcome to attend, and if you would like to present, let us know that too by clicking on the button below. We will keep running these sessions as long as there is appetite from both presenters and audience.
It's helpful of you register to attend so we can make sure we have meeting capacity and also send you reminders and updates.
INDUSTRY NEWS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Meeting Place 2026
Tourism Tasmania is seeking expressions of interest from tourism operators across Tasmania (including accommodation, tours, experiences, transport, food and beverage offerings) to participate in the ATEC Meeting Place famil program.
ATEC Meeting Place pre famil program commences 21 October 2026, and the post famil program commences 29 October 2026. Famil itineraries will range from 2-5 nights in duration, with activities planned across Tasmania.
Those with ATEC membership will be prioritised, but membership is not essential to apply.
Showcase your business at the southern hemisphere's premier celebration of wooden boats and maritime culture. As Tasmania's largest free festival, the Australian Wooden Boat Festival connects exhibitors with thousands of boat owners, shipwrights, sailors, maritime enthusiasts, tourists and families from all over the world, across four days on Hobart's iconic waterfront.Submit your EOI asap to avoid missing out.
Following the release of the Insuring Tasmania’s Tourism Industry Reportin March 2026 , TICT has developed a practical Operator Toolkit designed in partnership with tourism operators and representatives from the insurance industry to help businesses better understand their risks, improve insurability, and make more informed decisions about their cover.
Congratulations to Port Arthur, named Tassie’s Tiny Tourism Town for 2026! A well-deserved win for this special southern Tasmanian destination, its tourism operators and local community. And a special acknowledgement to Tasman Council for supporting the submission and championing tourism in their region.
TWSA also Wins!
Another congratulations goes to Tasmanian Wild Seafood Adventures who just won the Best Seafood Experience category at the National Seafood Awards. These awards celebrate excellence, sustainability, and leadership across the Australian seafood sector.
Hobart Airport Award
Hobart Airport recently won the Airport Retail and Commercial Business Excellence Award at the July 2026 Australian Airports Association (AAA) Retail and Commercial Forum in Cairns in recognition of its $200 million redevelopment. This huge project has seen the airport's retail space triple, along with major upgrades to arrival and departure facilities to manage record passenger growth. Congratulations to the team!
TICT Tassie Tour Guide Awards
Congratulations to Dr Lisa Gershwin, founder ofGlow Tours Tasmania, as the winner of the 2026 Tassie Tour Guide Award, announced by the TICT last month. She
was recognised for her exceptional knowledge, engaging interpretation and commitment to creating unforgettable visitor experiences.
Congratulations also go to Alicia Johns fromOff the Leash Tourswho a received Highly Commended gong for her fun, personal and connected approach to guiding - an incredible achievement for someone who's been in operation for little more than a year!
An Update from Hadley's
Art Bar at Hadley's
A familiar space inside Hadley's Orient Hotel has been given a fresh identity with the launch of the Art Bar at Hadley’s. Art has always been central to Hadley's story and the Art Bar celebrates a decade of the Hadley’s Art Prize now hosting a permanent, public display of winning entries.
Accessed through its distinctive red door on Murray Street, locals and visitors alike are invited to step inside, slow down and enjoy a space where art provides the backdrop and hospitality is the focus. Open daily from 4pm.
Hadley's Art Prize Finalist Exhibition
Presented by Hadley's Orient Hotel, the Hadley's Art Prize is one of the richest landscape art prizes in Australia, with an acquisitive prize of $100,000. The annual prize is awarded to a contemporary artist for the best portrayal of the Australian landscape.
Hadley’s Art Prize Finalist Exhibition Free entry daily from 10am | Artworks for sale 1-23 August 2026
Artist: Harrison Bowe
Photo: Jessica King
Kunanyi to host Championships
Southern Tasmania will welcome Australia’s best mountain and trail runners in 2027, with the Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) chosen to host the nation’s first combined Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships. The landmark event will take place from 19–21 March 2027, with the championships integrated into the existing Kunanyi Mountain Run program, allowing elite athletes and recreational participants to share the same world-class trails and event experience.READ MORE
Wine in Tasmania
Leading Tasmanian wine writer Mark Smith has launched Wine in Tasmania, a fully comprehensive website documenting the details of Tasmanian wine and its producers, both present and past. More than three decades of of wine writing and industry participation in Tasmania has literally been poured into this rich and detailed resource, so if you are looking for a source of truth for wine buffs, send them HERE.
Mona Update
Last month, Mona stopped charging Tasmanians a $5 deposit to visit the museum. Having experienced a groundswell of support and visitation since the opening of its new library Phrontisterion, Mona wants to make it as easy as possible for Tasmanians to visit.
Founder, David Walsh, said: ‘My first library card was the great leveller, the thing that gave impoverished child-me a chance to seek. I wasn’t so impoverished at all, because I lived in a society that, despite its many failures, put libraries in suburbs, books in hands, and opportunity within reach.’
Mona's current exhibition, Julian Charrière’s Hard Core features glaciers and volcanoes, lapidary rock grinders and snails and runs until March 2027.
The children's library inside Phrontisterion. Photo Credit: Mona/Jesse Hunniford, courtesy of Mona.
Hastings Closure
Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs will beclosed for necessary annual maintenance tasks from Monday August 3rd to Sunday August 16th, with re-opening scheduled for Monday August 17th. The closure applies to whole-of-site, being the Cave and Springs Reserve areas and the Hastings Visitor Centre.
Share your news with DST
Destination Southern Tasmania is always interested in your industry updates. Completing this form lets us know what’s happening in your business or region. Your news and information may be shared with Tourism Tasmania and throughout the Destination Southern Tasmania social, email and web channels. Priority is given to DST members.
MEET OUR NEW DST MEMBERS
Citadines on Elizabeth St Pier
The wait is almost over! Part of the Elizabeth Street Pier redevelopment, Hobart's newest hotel is set to launch in the next few weeks and is taking bookings for September. The 98 rooms offer several tiers of luxury, including some specifically designed Studio Deluxe Accessible rooms. All day in‑room dining from neighbouring restaurant, Pier; and 1800-Martini, a direct line to expertly crafted Martinis are just two of the highlights of Citadines' new offering.
River Front Estate
River Front Estate is a restored 1800s three-bedroom homestead, complete with absolute river frontage, woodfired hot tub and sprawling gardens. Tucked behind the Lost Captain in Huonville's township, it's walking distance from anything your heart desires - shops, hospitality and services - all with the privacy and peace of a tranquil riverfront setting. Kayaks, bikes and fishing gear all included.
Trout Guides & Lodges Tasmania
Tasmania offers the ultimate in trout fishing. The myriad of rivers and streams, lakes and tarns are an angler’s paradise. It’s a beautiful, unspoiled environment that attracts trout fishers from all around the world. TGALT has curated the ultimate guide to connect visitors to trout guides, lodges and private fisheries, to ensure fishing enthusiasts have an unforgettable trout fishing experience.
TOURISM INDUSTRY NEWS
WHAT'S ONW
Tasmanian Whisky Week
1-9 August
Tasmanian Whisky Week has already kicked off over the weekend but there is still a full week of celebrations to enjoy. The Aon Tasmanian Whisky Showcase is the centrepiece of the festival — a single afternoon at Princes Wharf No. 1 where every Tasmanian distillery sets up alongside one another, pours from their best stock, and hands you the chance to taste the entire island in one go.Expect rare drops, single-cask releases, festival-only pours, and a few surprises tucked behind the bar.
Heritage and Bullock Festival
8-9 August
Set against the stunning backdrop of the historic village of Oatlands, the Heritage and Bullock Festival honours the legacy of the bullock teams that once powered Australia’s early transport and timber industries. But the festival is more than just bullocks. Visitors can stroll through Oatlands and see skilled artisans and craftspeople demonstrate and sell traditional trades—from blacksmithing and leatherwork, sandstone and enamelware. Each stall is carefully selected to reflect the festival’s core values: heritage, craftsmanship, integrity, and authenticity.
Beaker Street
6-17 August
As Beaker Street grows and evolves, there are literally hundreds of ways to engage with the festival program, but this year the festival will be bookended by two large scale precinct events around the Hobart waterfront:
Hobartica will bring the waterfront to life on the first weekend of the festival (Aug 6-9) in the form of an immersive Antarctic precinct; and then on the second weekend (Aug 14-16), the Market Place area will become the festival's Epicentre Precinct, with a free street party, performances, talks and karaoke!
Australian Antarctic Festival
20-23 August
Presented by the Mawsons Huts Foundation, The Australian Antarctic Festival celebrates Hobart's proud Antarctic heritage through a city-wide multi-faceted event, which includes a large expo, indoor and outdoor activations and programs, exhibitions, tours at significant landmarks, school excursions, cultural programming, educational talks by industry experts and so much more. A highlight of this year's event is the partnership between the festival and Hobart Twilight market. For one night only on Friday 21 August, the popular waterfront market will embrace the spirit of Antarctica, with more than 40 stalls offering Antarctic-inspired food and drink, artisan products, books, family activities and polar-themed experiences.
For more events near you, visit our Events page on Hobart & Beyond.
POSITIVE IMPACT IN ACTION
Recycle Rewards Update
Recycle Rewards launched its new dashboard last month which enables us all to clearly see the impact of the program. In 15 months, since the scheme started in Tassie, over 150 million eligible drink containers have been retured through Recycle Rewards, and $420 000 donated to charity! 🙌
Handmark Gallery has celebrated National Tree Day in partnership with Tasmanian Land Conservancy for the second year running. The collaboration is an artists' bush retreat, with 10 artists and one musician visiting Pine Tier in the Central Highlands. Under the stewardship of TLC guides, the group immerses in nature, and each participant creates the foundations for a body of work that is brought to potential back in their studios and ultimately exhibited at Handmark Gallery. Click on the video below to hear about the impact of the collaboration and how this helps the artists experience nature through a different lens.
GRANTS & FUNDING
EV Destination Charging Grants
The Tasmanian Government has announced the new $250,000 Electric Vehicle Destination Charging Grant Program, providing grants of up to $2,500 per charger for a maximum of four chargers per eligible business.
Applications open on 3 July 2026 and close 31 August 2026. Funding is available for up to four chargers (up to $2,500 per charger).
Funding available for up to 4 chargers per eligible business
Supports small to medium tourism businesses installing destination chargers for overnight guests
Program delivered across two funding rounds, with $125,000 available in Round 1.
Hunting for grants and funding has never been easier, now that Business Tasmania has launched its new website with the Grants and Funding Finder. Click on the button below to explore!
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