The Australian island state of Tasmania is experiencing a huge tourism boom, but is struggling to cope with the vast increase in visitors.
According to the BBC News website, visitor numbers soared almost overnight because of a new ferry service from the Australian mainland to the island, with a corresponding increase in spending of 30 per cent in the last 12 months alone. Some 570,000 visitors – more than the population of Tasmania – are expected to visit in 2004.
But, the website reports, many have been caught unaware – and the island’s chamber of commerce is offering courses in “service excellence”.
Damon Thomas, of the chamber of commerce, is quoted as saying: “In terms of our infrastructure, Tasmania has been caught a little bit by surprise by the extreme interest in the state. Having said that, there has been a major effort to encourage people to meet the demand, so a lot of businesses, from caravan parks to the major hotels and tourist chains, are off their backsides and are working on progress.”
Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad
